


We Were Here

by liziscribbles



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Artist Noctis, Boys Making Stupid Decisions, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Musician Prompto, One Night Stand Turns To More, Secret Ginger Prompto, Soulmate elements, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, There Are Going To Be So Many Shenanigans, roommate au, slice of life-ish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-04-18 04:46:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 56,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14205369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liziscribbles/pseuds/liziscribbles
Summary: Dressed up, messed up, put on a show, so the whole damn world's gonna knowthat we were here; running 'round, pack of hounds, young bloods burning it down.Noctis, fresh out of a bad relationship, is in need of a roommate.  At around the same time, he makes the acquaintance of a boy who, for the first few days, he only knows as Blondie.





	1. Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _is it desire, or is it love that I'm feeling for you?_  
>  _i want desire, 'cause your love only gets me abused._  
> [desire](https://open.spotify.com/track/6JzCO4ZzxAXhY86vTcqM1Q?si=Thkmwvr7S-GsOxB3PgTIuA) ;; years & years  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYVg-V8-7q0) ]

This wasn't the first time that Noctis had ever been to a bar. In fact, Loqi had loved this scene so much he'd frequently dragged Noctis along with him to a different bar—his _favorite_ bar—a few blocks away. They would drink and play pool until the wee hours of the morning, and then stumble home and fall into bed together, sometimes ending with Noctis missing classes and Loqi being late for work. Not exactly the most responsible behavior, but it was kind of par for the course for a couple as young and in love as Noctis thought he and Loqi were. At least that was what he told everyone.

Thought. Was. Were. Three words that, over the course of the two years they'd been together, Noctis never thought he'd have to use in relation to his boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend.

Now, though, it had been about three weeks since they'd broken up. Three weeks. Three _weird_ weeks, where sometimes he'd still wake up and expect to see that same head of dirty blond hair on the other side of the bed. That wasn't his reality anymore, though. The reality was that Loqi had cheated on him, apparently more than once, and Noctis had to get used to waking up alone.

Or at least seek companionship elsewhere.

That was why Crowe and Cindy had dragged him out of his apartment that night. His friends, his neighbors, seemed worried that he was shutting himself in after the breakup. Maybe he was. Maybe he _was_ sort of hiding from people. Maybe he wasn't ready to be around others yet; didn't want to face people who probably knew Loqi and might have known what happened between them. Today, though, with all her persuasion, Crowe refused to take no for an answer. Cindy tried to talk her down, and got as far as Cindy _ever_ did when talking Crowe down from impulsive decisions. In the end, Noctis had agreed. To at least get his friend off his back.

That, truthfully, was the only reason he'd actually gone through with it, too. Though, he wasn't without hesitation, of course. Chief on the hesitation list was the fact that this wasn't a bar. This wasn't a bar that showed pool tournaments or fishing shows or had drinking contests. This was a _club_. A nightclub, with dancing, and loud music, and dancing, and bodies pressed close together, and _dancing_ , and people who would probably _want_ him to dance.

Noctis didn't dance. Noctis had _never_ danced.

As he made his way through the alley and to the other side of the block, he considered turning back for about the hundredth time. It wasn't a far walk. From here, it was less than two minutes, actually. If he locked the doors, it wasn't like Crowe and Cindy could get in... unless they went downstairs and talked to Ignis or Ravus, anyway. That was the curse that came with having neighbors with keys to his apartment, he supposed. The upside was that they were friends he trusted. People who could take care of Umbra when he went out of town. The downside, though, was that he could never fully get away.

It was fine. It would be fine. It wasn't like Noctis expected this to be a triumphant return to the dating scene or anything. He wasn't going to meet his soulmate at a club. If movies had taught him anything, it was that. As such, he wasn't even dressed in his best outfit. Just jeans and a plain t-shirt, with his favorite boots and the watch his dad had given him for his nineteenth birthday last year. Though he didn't do anything outside of the normal with his hair, and he kind of looked a little bit lazy... he still looked passable. At least he hoped so. Passable enough that Crowe wouldn't make him turn around right at the door and drag him back to his apartment to change, anyway. That was what mattered, in the end.

All he needed to do was get in and out of the club with minimal bloodshed, and turn away anyone who asked him to dance. He couldn't dance anyway, so it wasn't like it was a lie. Then, Crowe would be off his back, and hopefully she'd pull Gladio and Aranea off with her.

Insomnia traffic was sort of slow tonight. As Noctis stopped at the crosswalk, he could actually hear the thumping music at the club across the street. It was a little bit daunting, as the EDM beat thudded out and entered his ears. From here, he couldn't really tell what the song was. In truth, though, he probably wouldn't have even known from the other side of the street, either. Noctis didn't really know EDM all too well. His music taste erred more toward the alternative rock side of things. That, he figured, was why he could never really dance. Because he didn't listen to stuff that was easy to dance _to_.

Crossing the road, listening to the music as it got louder and a little bit easier to hear, a growing sense of dread formed in Noctis' stomach. He had fun at parties, sure, but he wasn't a big group party person like this. So, how was he supposed to fit in? Was he supposed to just... be a wallflower? Truthfully, it sounded appealing.

"About time," a familiar voice called from a couple of feet away. "C'mon, Edgelord. We saved you a spot in line."

Noctis turned his head toward the sound, blinking a couple of times when he spotted Crowe beckoning to him and Cindy waving him over with an eager smile on her face. So, it was probably too late to run now. Disappointing, but he just raised his hand and waved back, before heading toward his friends in a slow jog.

When he got there, Cindy placed a hand on his shoulder and eased him into the line in front of her. Noctis was pretty sure that he saw a couple of people behind him with narrowed eyes and annoyed scoffs at the fact that they were one person further from getting into the club now, but Noctis just shrugged his head to the side and turned his attention toward the girls now. Crowe was looking him over in scrutiny, like she was annoyed with him for not really tried to put himself together too much. Cindy, on the other hand, was just shaking her head and smiling fondly at her girlfriend.

"What, couldn't have Poindexter and Salty help you put yourself together? Just... jeans and a t-shirt?" Crowe asked him, sounding equal parts annoyed and amused.

Cindy smirked a little bit wider and clapped her hand to Crowe's shoulder. "C'mon, darlin'. We pretty much dragged 'im here, didn't we? Can't expect him to wanna look the part. Least he didn't wear nothin' with holes in it, or them dirty sweatpants he's been wearin' for the past couple days, right?" she winked.

Laughing, Noctis shrugged his head to the side. "Almost did," he mused. "Probably should've, huh? Then you'd let me go home."

"Yeah, for about ten seconds," Crowe replied. "Long enough to make sure you changed into something at least semi-decent, before we dragged you out by your hair and forced you to come back. Y'know. For your own sake."

Crowe's words, as cruel as they sounded, were accompanied by a smile that told Noctis she wouldn't really _drag_ him. It was more likely that she'd nag and complain until he had no choice but to go along with her. She probably wouldn't hesitate to involve their other friends, either. In the end, it didn't really matter much, because he was here and he was dressed well enough not to be dragged back home and then back out. Crowe may have been a little bit pushy, but she would never have actually physically forced him into situations like this. Even if she would have, he doubted Cindy would have allowed her to.

Noctis sighed gently and gathered his wallet from his pocket, digging around for his ID. His wallet was as disorganized as his apartment usually was. It wasn't that he didn't _have_ the pockets and little slots for cards or whatever, it was just that when he was in a rush, his cards and ID and license didn't always make it into the right spot. At the moment, his wallet was a mess of crinkled bills and strewn about cards, with some things in their proper place.

For a second, he hoped that maybe he'd be able to get _out_ of going into the club, because he couldn't find his ID. Just for a second, though, before he sighed and pulled his ID out. There went his last chance to back out and _not_ have Crowe mad at him. As the line moved forward, he plucked the card from his wallet and held it in his hand. Sliding his wallet back into place for now, he turned his head toward the front of the line. There were a few people between them and the door, and every time someone opened it to go in, the outpouring of loud music and bright lights took him by surprise.

Honestly, he didn't know why. It was a club. Clubs had loud music and bright lights. It was just a fact. He just... wasn't sure he was ready for it.

Cindy seemed to pick up on it, because she placed a hand on his shoulder gently and smiled at him when he turned. "It's okay, Noct. We ain't gonna make you hit the floor if you don't wanna, but that don't mean that you _can't_ if you _do_ want to," she told him gently. "We come here a lot. Little less than we used to, but when we came here before there were a whole lot of real nice people who just wanna dance or maybe even sit at the bar and have drinks with you! I promise, you'll have fun, okay?"

With a nod of agreement, Crowe's expression softened. It was almost like Cindy's gentle encouragement made her realize how nervous Noctis really was. "Yeah. It's not like anyone in there's a homophobe, either, you know? Envy's a gay club. There's just cute guys out there, and most of the ones who are on the sidelines with you are there because they're lonely sad sacks, just like you are."

It was nice to hear a little bit of encouragement. Even Crowe's words, though they were still mocking, were encouraging and a lot gentler than what she'd been saying before. Noctis shrugged his shoulder and nodded, stepping forward with the line again, realizing he was really close to the door now. Okay, it was okay. Cindy was right. It was just a club, they were just people, and Noctis _liked_ people. No one in there would hurt him, and maybe... maybe if he had fun, he could start to pick himself up out of his slump.

Maybe, if he said it enough times, he'd convince himself it was true.

Still, even through his doubts, he glanced at the bouncer and offered his ID. The man slid it through the machine, checking to see if it was real, and then nodded and lifted the tape for Noctis. Maybe Noctis could have gone in, but instead, he just waited on the other side of the tape for Cindy and Crowe. He knew, as soon as they got in there, Cindy and Crowe would probably head straight for the dance floor together and probably wouldn't come back for the rest of the night... but that was okay. At least he could go in there with them. At least he didn't have to look like he was showing up alone.

After his friends both joined him on the other side of the tape, Noctis clamped down hard over his lip and looked at the door like it was some kind of portal to another dimension. It may as well have been true, honestly. When the door opened and he heard the EDM music from this close, though... it was overwhelming. The lights were pretty, and the music sounded _good_ , but it was just a little bit too loud for Noctis' taste. Maybe it was stupid. Maybe he shouldn't have cared; should have been able to let loose and have a little bit more fun. It was just... a lot. A lot, all at once.

The first thing he thought of of was the fact that Loqi would love this place. Cindy and Crowe were talking to each other, which left Noctis to his own devices, and it had him wondering if this was where Loqi went to find the men he'd cheated with.

That was what Loqi had told him, when he finally came clean. Well... been forced to come clean, because Gladio had found out the truth and threatened him to. Otherwise, Noctis genuinely wondered if he ever would have. If, to this day, Noctis still would have been in the dark and he'd still be going to clubs once a week to find different guys. The harsh truth was that he found men in places like this. He'd danced the night away with them and then gone home with them. All on nights that he'd told Noctis that he was busy with things for work or helping out his friends. Suddenly, Noctis had never needed a drink more.

Cindy led him to the bar, where she and Crowe each ordered a couple of shots, downed them, and then immediately made plans to hit the dance floor.

"You sure you don't wanna come dance with us, darlin'?" Cindy asked him, her voice loud so Noctis could hear her over the deafening thrum of the music. "You can dance with us and we won't make fun of you at all!"

Behind her, Crowe just shook her head and smiled reassuringly at Noctis, like she was confirming Cindy's statement. Like she _wouldn't_ make fun of Noctis for his inability to dance. It was a nice thought, a nice offer, but Noctis shook his head no and leaned back against the bar. "Nah, you guys go have fun!" he shouted to Cindy in return. "I'll just have a couple of drinks and people watch!"

Crowe and Cindy exchanged a look, Crowe frowning softly as she looked at Noctis with a little bit of disappointment on her face. "Alright. But if you change your mind, you can come out and find us, okay? You've always got two dance partners ready and waiting," she insisted, before turning to look at Cindy and beckoning her to the dance floor.

Now that Noctis was alone, he sighed a soft note. People watching was a hobby of his, something he'd done for a long time. At the very least, if he couldn't enjoy himself much more, he could watch people, watch how people who actually _did_ things like this—people who did things in a _normal_ way, anyway—interacted with each other. He turned to the looked over his shoulder in both directions—because if Crowe caught _any_ word that he was ordering his preferred drink, she would tease him endlessly—then ordered a vodka cran and turned back around to cast his eyes around the room while he waited for it.

Some people looked like they were having more fun than others. Crowe and Cindy looked right at home on the floor, dancing together in a way more traditional fashion than the music sounded like it wanted them to. It didn't match the music at all, but neither of them seemed to care. They were twirling, hugging each other, laughing, having a really good time, and seeming to completely forget that the rest of the world existed. Noctis couldn't help but smile a little bit, because even though he couldn't really see himself letting go and having _that_ kind of fun in a place like this? It was almost fun enough to watch _them_ have fun.

The bartender tapped his shoulder, and Noctis turned around, offering his money out. He was waved off, though, the man behind the bar telling him that, "your two friends comped all your drinks!" and pointing out to Cindy and Crowe.

Oh. Okay. Well, that was nice of them. "Thanks!" Noctis told the bartender, accepting his drink and turning around to get back to people watching.

This time, it wasn't just Cindy and Crowe that caught his attention. Around them were several more groups of people. Some looked like friends—women who were dancing together with their high heels piled up in a corner nearby—and some looked like couples. Namely, the pair far to the right side of the room, who looked more like they were just rubbing up against each other than dancing. The fact that they more or less started making out in their corner of the dance floor all but confirmed that to Noctis, and he laughed softly to himself as he took a sip of his drink and shook his head.

All he could really do was laugh, honestly, because just over a month ago, if he'd found his way here with Loqi, they'd more than likely have been exactly the same way. Another drink from his glass, and he shook his head hard to force his mind away from those thoughts—easier to force his mind from the thoughts than the thoughts from his mind, after all—and then looked out across the dance floor again.

For the next few hours, he did just that. After a little while, it was easier to drown out the thudding sound of the loud music. Some of it, he actually managed to like. It wasn't what he usually listened to, but it wasn't bad. A few times, he even found himself bobbing his head a little bit. Maybe it was just the booze in his system that was making it happen. In fact, that was probably what it was. It _couldn't_ have been that he was actually enjoying the music. Not after the show he'd put on about hating it. Rather than bobbing his head, he resorted to tapping his feet to some of the better beats and rhythms. Just in case Crowe or Cindy came by.

They hadn't yet, though. Every now and then, they would wave and smile at him, but they hadn't come his way.

So far, being here wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. No one had bothered him, though he'd noticed a couple of people looking his way he'd had to deflect. The first he'd deflected just by cutting eye contact immediately. The second had been a little more of a struggle, though. With the second, he'd had to actively tell the man no, to go away, and that he wasn't interested. Fortunately, it was enough.

Every now and then, though, when he was scanning the dance floor, Noctis caught a glimpse of a boy. A small, thin, freckled boy in a tank top and skinny jeans who seemed to completely lose himself in the music, no matter what song was on. When Noctis _did_ catch a glimpse of him, it was hard to take his eyes away. The boy looked like he was about Noctis' age, but he was pretty handsome. If Noctis wanted to talk to _anyone_ tonight, it would be him. He'd seen the boy walk past a couple of times, once waving his arms like he was trying to flag a friend down, and once stopping at a spot further down the bar to get a drink.

Sure, there was interest there... but not enough to seek him out and talk to him. Noctis didn't want to be one of those weird bar guys who talked to guys who weren't interested in anything other than just dancing the night away. When Noctis saw the boy on the floor, that seemed like exactly what he was interested in.

Noctis was on his third drink, and it had his head feeling a little bit fuzzy. Not too fuzzy, just the right amount of pleasant fuzz that had him enjoying everything more than he normally would have. The music, the lights, everything felt pretty awesome at this point, and for a couple of minutes, Noctis was honestly considering standing up and going to join Crowe and Cindy on the dance floor. He didn't dance. He didn't even dance a _little_ bit, actually. He knew how to keep beat and rhythm, but he couldn't _actually_ dance to save his life if he had to. Still, his mind didn't care. His mind was happy enough that he almost wanted to try.

Wouldn't Crowe have a field day if he did, too? If he suddenly showed up on the floor and tried to dance with his friends? Just the look on her face would probably almost make it worth it, to be honest.

It was enough to make him decide that, after he finished this third drink, that was exactly what he was going to do. So, he took another slow pull from it—slow but long, enough to rush the process along a little, but not long enough make him trip over himself when on his way there—and sought his friends out in the crowd again.

That was when he felt a little bit of a shift in the air beside him, and suddenly, the bar stool next to him was occupied. It was occupied until about fifteen minutes ago. Now, though, someone was sitting there and ordering a Mai Tai from the bartender. Noctis turned his head slowly toward the sound. The voice sounded young, and maybe a little bit breathless.

When his eyes focused, all he could do was blink dumbly. It was the boy from the dance floor. The one who Noctis had seen several times tonight, with the blond hair, the freckles, and the tank top. From this close, and in the light over the bar, Noctis could see glitter sprinkled in around the freckles, and he had all he could do not to hold his breath; to keep breathing normally. He looked amazing. His skin shone with a thin layer of sweat that probably came with how intensely he'd been dancing, but he didn't look too bothered by that. The glitter looked like it had sort of just stuck to him from some sort of confetti explosion on the dance floor—which made perfect sense, honestly, because Noctis had seen just that happen several times, and he was sweating just a little, so naturally it would stick—but it served to accentuate the freckles, and also made his bright blue eyes pop all the more.

The boy tapped his feet along with the music, and tapped his fingers on the table along with the off-beats. He seemed to be in his element here, but maybe not _completely_. Something was a little bit off, and Noctis couldn't help but think that he wasn't fully comfortable.. Whatever he was, though? He was easily the most attractive person in this room tonight. So much so that Noctis' drunk mind wouldn't let him tear his eyes away.

It was already a few seconds too late when Noctis noticed he was staring.

The boy turned his head, flashing Noctis a bashful smile and a simple wave as he locked eye contact. His eyes were even bluer straight on, and it was enough to make Noctis practically choke on the little bit of drink still in his mouth. Almost. Fortunately, he managed to keep himself together and wave in return, before forcing himself to turn his head and look away. Staring was a _really_ quick way to be seen as a creeper, and he was fully aware of that, so he tried to at least _half_ -focus on scanning the crowd for his friends again. When this was all said and done, and the boy went back to dancing, maybe Noctis would still go out and join them.

"Good crowd tonight!"

At first, Noctis didn't think the boy was talking to him. He heard the words coming from the chair beside him, but he just thought they were for the bartender. Not for Noctis. So, when he turned to catch a quick glimpse of the conversation, he was surprised to see the boy, sipping on his drink, and looking right at Noctis... like they were for him. At first, he just blinked stupidly, and looked over his shoulder like the words _couldn't_ have been for him; like they had to be for someone else. Behind him, everyone already seemed to be in a conversation, though. So...

Noctis just asked. "Oh, were you talking to me?"

The boy—Noctis decided to call him Blondie in his mind—nodded. "Yeah! I saw you looking at me a second ago, and I, y'know. I just thought you might need a little ice-breaker!" he said, leaning in so that Noctis would hear him over the music.

Oh. Oh, okay. Noctis just nodded his head, trying to think back to what the boy had said before. "Oh. Yeah, it's a good crowd!" At least, he guessed it was. He didn't know what the typical crowd was, but there were a lot of people here and the dance floor was packed. So, by that standard, it was a pretty good crowd.

Blondie smiled, and Noctis was pretty sure he was done for. That smile... Noctis had never seen anything like it before. He belonged in magazines, or in art, or _something_ like that. He tried to smile in reply, but fell short, and quickly busied himself with taking a sip from his drink instead of chancing making an even bigger idiot of himself than he had. Blondie seemed not to notice, or not to care, because he just relaxed a little bit further against the bar and wiggled a little bit to the beat. Noctis didn't know him at _all_ , but it was almost like the confidence was an aura, like a persona that he put on. 

And Noctis honestly found himself wondering why he was analyzing a stranger he hadn't even really _met_ yet.

Crowe would laugh at him. Tell him that this was what he always did. He always over-analyzed, always thought too much and didn't just act. So, almost like he was trying to prove to himself that he could, he leaned back over to Blondie and in an alcoholic boost of confidence, he spoke up again.

"Do you come here often?"

The _literal second_ the words came out of his mouth, he wished there was some way he could stuff them back in, slide from his chair, meld with the floor and just disappear. 'Do you come here often' was one of the absolute _worst_ possible pick-up lines that anyone had ever said in the history of the world, and Noctis had just used them on a cute and charming stranger who had a smile that could put an end to all of Eos' wars. Was he an idiot? Yes. The answer was yes.

Blondie didn't seem fazed, though. He just smiled and shook his head a couple of times, before just spinning into an answer. "Once a month. Maybe less than that. I like it, and I like dancing, but it's not really my scene, you know? I came here with my friend, who sort of ditched me to dance with some girl he just met, so I took a break. Why, do you?" he asked.

Noctis shook his head. "No. First time here, actually," he answered sheepishly.

With a soft hum to himself, Blondie took down the rest of his drink and then slid down from his bar stool, meeting Noctis' eye with a shrug. "You wanna dance?" he asked.

Realistically, the answer should have been no. Noctis generally didn't want to dance. He _couldn't_ dance. He wasn't any good at it. So, he should have instantly told Blondie exactly that. The words were simple. Easy to say. If he said them, he spared himself embarrassment and managed to talk to another guy, so Crowe and Cindy couldn't even say the whole night was a bust.

Still, connecting the words from his brain to his mouth was proving a little harder than he thought. Mostly because his heart kept trying to interject, and for some reason, his heart seemed to be winning out. It was screaming at him—as were a few other parts of him that were completely and totally stunned with how _gorgeous_ he was—telling him that he _could_ dance. At least, he could dance enough to keep up with Blondie. Whoever he was. So, in spite of his better judgment, he nodded his head yes.

"Sure."

If Noctis died tonight, of embarrassment or otherwise, he decided that the word 'sure' would be his undoing. Either that, or the fact that Blondie was extending a hand to him. As he followed Blondie's lead, Crowe managed to catch a glimpse at them, and looked at Noctis with her eyebrow raised. Noctis just shrugged in return, and then turned his attention back to Blondie, who was leading him out to the sea of bodies that overtook the dance floor. It was almost like a literal sea, in some places. Bodies that swayed and moved along with the beat of the music in a way that made it look almost like waves. It was as entrancing as it was terrifying, especially when he found himself in the _middle_ of the sea.

On a normal day, that was enough to slow him. Enough to make him hesitate or retreat. Noctis wasn't socially anxious, not really, but being in a place where bodies were packed together like sardines was uncomfortable to just about anyone, he figured. It didn't stop him. He just found himself clinging a little bit tighter to Blondie's hand.

At least, until they found themselves a tiny open space to dance.

The very second the song changed, Blondie dropped his hand and started dancing in front of him... with no pretense, no words to suggest that they get started. That was when Noctis realized that he was in a little bit over his head. Blondie moved like a professional. His body seemed to sway to the beat, and Noctis—while he _tried_ to dance—found himself staring a little bit more than actually dancing. A lot more, if he was completely honest. He didn't move at first, before he finally started moving his hips, and then the memory hit him full force: he couldn't dance to save his life.

Blondie, when he finally stopped moving, looked at Noctis in curiosity, as he extended his hand and placed it on Noctis' hip. "You don't dance often, do you?" he asked, his voice a little softer than it probably should have been in a loud place like this.

Noctis still heard him loud and clear, though, because of how close they were—how tightly his body was pressed up against Noctis'—and how close he leaned his head to Noctis' ear when he spoke. When Blondie looked at him, no judgment in his eyes, Noctis simply shook his head and bit his lip shyly, nervously.

"That's okay," Blondie replied, as he moved his other hand to place it on Noctis' hip.

The song wasn't _slow_ or anything, but the beat itself was slower than most of the other songs Noctis had heard up to this point. A part of him wondered exactly what Blondie was going to do, with his hands on Noctis' hips and his piercing blue eyes looking _directly and inescapably_ into Noctis', but honestly, the other part of him didn't care. Blondie used his hands' position to sway Noctis' hips from side to side, and then released their grip, raising his arms and draping them slowly around Noctis' neck.

It wasn't a slow dance—this wasn't like those awkward slow-dances in high school or anything—but it was definitely significantly more intimate than most of the other songs Noctis had heard tonight. That meant that the closeness of their bodies, and the way they swayed in time, _also_ felt a little bit intimate. That intimacy took over Noctis' mind completely, and caused him to raise his own hands and place one on each of Blondie's hips.

This wasn't typical club dancing, not _really_ , but now Noctis understood exactly why Crowe and Cindy, Gladio and Aranea liked dancing like this so much. The thrum of each beat felt like it was pulsing in Noctis' chest, and the lights danced around the room like a fairy tale. Blondie's eyes glistened, and a little more glitter confetti rained from the sky, twinkling against the lights like stars and catching the corners of his eye. Everything about the moment was intoxicating. Maybe even more so because he was pressed tightly against a boy whose name he didn't even know.

Whether it was the alcohol or the atmosphere, or just the way he felt hanging onto Blondie like he was, Noctis couldn't really help his next move at all. He closed the short distance between them and pressed his lips securely against Blondie's, while their bodies still swayed to the beat.

Surprisingly enough, Blondie just went along with it.

Noctis could taste the sweet, fruitiness of the alcohol on his lips, but he didn't look _that_ drunk. He looked sober, and just as into what was going on as Noctis was. In fact, it was _him_ who took the kiss a step further. He pressed a little bit closer to Noctis—still swaying intimately to the beat, and brushing their bodies a little bit closer together—and then gave Noctis' lower lip a gentle tug, suggesting that they deepen the kiss a little bit. Gods, this was crazy. It was insane. It made no sense. But Noctis didn't care. Nothing about this moment was normal. Why not make it crazier?

While they were at it, making out while they stood in the middle of the dance floor and swaying to a song, why not just go for maximum crazy?

It had to be the booze, or the atmosphere, or _something_ , that overtook Noctis in that moment, because when he broke the kiss for air, and then leaned close to Blondie's ear to whisper, "my apartment's a block away..." it felt _very much_ like an out of body experience. Like his brain and his body weren't exactly connecting. 

If he cared, he could have backpedaled. He could have took back the offer. He didn't, and he wasn't, and all he could really do was wait and see if Blondie replied, or just ignored him and brushed it off.

Blondie didn't blow it off, though. Instead, he glanced up, eyes twinkling mischievously as they met with Noctis', and nodded his head.

Leaning down, brushing his lips gently along Noctis' neck, and then stopping at his ear, Blondie smirked, before whispering, "let's go then," and nodding his head toward the door.

Whatever Noctis had expected of this whole experience—which wasn't much, if he was being completely honest—"dancing," making out with, and then going back to his apartment with a complete stranger was _absolutely not_ it in the slightest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again! I have about three more chapters of this pre-written, but I'm going to release it on a bit of a schedule, so that I can stay a bit ahead!
> 
> Thanks so much to Chellie for being an amazing beta and music finder, and to Kiri, Greta, Izu, Cam, Chellie (again) and all of my friends on the Waste Basket discord server for cheering me on and making sure that I remembered that it's okay to write what I want!
> 
> I'm having a major blast writing this, and I hope you all enjoy reading it just as much!
> 
> [The song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYVg-V8-7q0) that Prompto and Noctis danced to!  
> [The song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2jZwC8B7qE) that the fic is based on!


	2. Edge of Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _so young and full of running, all the way to the edge of desire._  
>  _steady my breathing, silently screaming,_  
>  _"i have to have you now"_  
> [egde of desire](https://open.spotify.com/track/5gbxzSqABThINGDb7vIiwe?si=RApupBd5TWClUhT44SSZrQ) ;; john mayer  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7zB6raFCc4) ]

Noctis wanted to say they made it all the way to his bedroom before they started getting really heavy. He _wanted_ to, but he couldn't. A few times, they'd stopped in the alley to make out against the wall. The whole elevator ride was composed solely of an intense and heated make-out session with Blondie's back pressed against the wall and Noctis completely taking his lips over. As _soon_ as they made it into the front door to his apartment, Noctis was in action again. His lips found their way to Blondie's, and Blondie's hands found their way under his shirt; searching, feeling, just touching.

If it was possible for a person's veins to be made solely out of gasoline and be lit ablaze by touches...

It wasn't as though Noctis was a stranger to fevered touches or eager kisses. Loqi had a pretty strong appetite for things like this. He wanted to hook up pretty much every night, and Noctis was more than willing to comply most of the time. This was _not_ the time to think of his ex, though. Not when he had a _very_ attractive blond boy pinned against the front door of his apartment and there were still way too many layers of clothing separating them.

Blondie, it seemed, had the same thought process, because as soon as Noctis thought it, he slid his hands up Noctis' ribs and tugged the teal blue shirt upward. Noctis laughed a soft, low note, and lifted his arms, allowing Blondie to pull the t-shirt up and off, and cast it down to the floor in his living room. Now uninhibited by any fabric, Blondie's hands continued exploring. Eager fingertips brushed against Noctis' abdomen, and up to his pectoral muscles, while Blondie dipped his head down to plant an eager and open-mouthed kiss to Noctis' shoulder.

Holy hell, was that hot. Noctis pushed a sigh out through his nose and placed his hands on Blondie's hips, backing away from the door and across his living room. Vaguely, he was aware it was entirely possible he would trip over Umbra or something, but his mind wasn't exactly as 'in control' as he would have wanted it to be right then.

"Watch out for my dog," Noctis murmured.

Blondie chuckled softly, sliding one wandering hand up Noctis' back and letting it tangle in his hair. "That's the weirdest way someone has ever tried to tell me they've got a boner," he joked.

With a huff of laughter, Noctis shook his head no, meeting Blondie's eyes to say, "I mean... I do, but I meant my actual dog. He's somewhere around here, probably sleeping in my spare room, but he'll also probably come out when he realizes that we're here." Maybe, anyway. Sometimes, Umbra didn't move at all. Like dog, like owner, Noctis' friends always said. He was only protective when Noctis was in danger or in a depressive period, so at most, he'd more than likely poke his head into the hall to see what was happening. Beyond that, he'd probably just keep sleeping.

"I was mostly kidding," Blondie announced. "I'd ask to meet your dog, but I have a feeling I'll be doing that in just a minute..." he added with a wry little grin on his face. Then, before Noctis could reply, he rocked up onto his tiptoes and captured Noctis' lips with his, kissing him until the breath was completely gone from his lungs.

In fact, beyond a soft chuckle at his second joke, Noctis didn't really have a thought in his head, aside from the fact that they were at his door now. Rather than open it right away, Noctis pinned Blondie to the wall again, and let his _own_ kisses trail down to Blondie's neck. The way he tilted his head back, letting it hit the door behind him with a dull thud and letting out a soft and approving sigh was almost reward enough on its own. Almost. Not quite. While his lips were busy, one hand left Blondie's hip to find the doorknob and twist it, letting the door swing open and then backing into his bedroom.

Noctis fumbled around on the wall for the light switch, and as he did he wondered if turning the light on was even necessary. Blondie was gorgeous, though, and Noctis wanted to see him. He wanted to see the curves of his body and watch him while they fucked. Maybe that was weird for what was more than likely a one-time thing, but it was too late to turn back now.

It seemed like Blondie had no objections either, as he hooked his fingers into the belt loops of Noctis' jeans and backed the pair of them up a little bit, until they were right by the bed. Blondie toed his sneakers off, and Noctis took the hint, kicking his own boots off quickly and letting them land wherever on his floor. That coaxed a laugh from Blondie, and when Noctis turned his head back, he saw Blondie was tugging his own shirt up and over his shoulders, tossing it to the floor next to the bed.

All Noctis did at first was stare. The freckles, as beautiful as they were on his face, didn't stop there. They decorated his shoulders and arms—Noctis had noticed the latter part earlier, of course, but now with his chest bare, it was all the more obvious—and contrasted perfectly with his pale skin. Fuck. Blondie was _easily_ the best-looking person Noctis had ever seen in his life. Beautiful. Stunning. Enough to cause Noctis to stand in his bedroom and gape awkwardly, making this whole situation all the dumber. He was an idiot. He was beyond help. He only hoped he hadn't irredeemably screwed everything up.

Rather than focus too long on how much of an idiot he was being, he closed the distance between them and placed his hands on Blondie's hips again, moving his hands around to the front of his pants. Quickly, he undid the button and zipper, and tugged them down so that they rested in a pool around his ankles. Noctis watched dumbly as Blondie stepped out of the pile of fabric and kicked them off to the side.

With that settled, he backed Blondie up so that he was sitting on the edge of Noctis' bed. As soon as his ass hit the mattress, Blondie's fingers made quick work of opening Noctis' jeans up, too, and tugged on them, letting them fall down on their own, allowing Noctis to step out of them. Blondie scooted back on the bed, just slightly out of Noctis' reach, and leaned back against the pillows. He just smirked at Noctis, his eyes twinkling, and honestly, the smirk and the light in his eyes did all the beckoning for him.

Noctis would be damned if he wasn't going to play along, too. He crawled up the bed, one knee on either side of Blondie's hips, and leaned down for another kiss. This time, it was slower; a tentative kind of slow that showed he wasn't sure if Blondie wanted _him_ to dictate the pace, or if Blondie wanted to dictate it himself.

Fortunately, Blondie answered the question for him rather quickly. Without saying a word, he reached his hand down between them. Gentle hands tugged Noctis' boxer briefs down a little bit, exposing him completely, and then smirking as he raised his head back up to lock eyes again. The expression on his face was... well, it was pretty easy to read. Blondie wanted Noctis to fuck him.

That was a request he would agree to with _absolutely_ no problem.

Noctis reached over to the bedside table, opening the drawer and pulling out a condom and a bottle of lube. He hadn't used condoms in a long time, but he also wasn't stupid. As gorgeous as Blondie was, and as into Blondie as _Noctis_ was right then, he didn't know the boy at _all_. What if Blondie was lying, and he _did_ go to bars like that often? What if he picked up guys all the time like this? Noctis didn't like to think the worst of people, but lately, his faith in people's honesty had been tested. It was sad, because he'd always trusted people easily. Maybe, to a degree, he still did, or else Blondie wouldn't be here tonight...

At the same time, though, he felt a hesitation he'd never felt before.

So, Noctis tugged his own boxer briefs down, and watched as Blondie discarded his boxers down to the floor—clamping down on his lower lip at the _look_ of Blondie completely naked and exposed like that—then made quick work of tearing the condom open and rolling it onto himself. He fumbled a little bit, since it had been quite some time since he'd actually _used_ one.

Then, he resumed his position on top of Blondie, crawling up between his thighs and meeting his eyes. There was a level of nervousness in Blondie's eyes that he didn't expect, but honestly, he wasn't sure if that was _just_ Blondie, or if it was reflecting from Noctis' own expression. Whatever it was, he tried to ease it in both of them with a gentle smile, as he squeezed a little bit of lube onto his hand and slid it up and down his length a couple of times. Anticipation was killing him more than it had any right to, and he moved a little bit closer, watching with eager eyes as Blondie lifted his hips up from the bed.

Hot. Really hot, actually.

Quickly—a little quicker than he probably normally would have given his desperation—Noctis let the lube slide from the bottle and down two of his fingers. Blondie was watching him in anticipation, his eyes twinkling in mischief, making the moment all the realer for Noctis.

With his fingers ready, Noctis leaned down, pondering laying some affections on Blondie's dick and having a little more fun with the prepping. He realized quickly, though, he could have just as much fun by making this as torturous as possible. Prepping yes, but also seeing just how far he could push before Blondie was begging to be fucked. Maybe it was a little bit sneaky, but if Noctis did things right, if he moved slowly and tortuously enough, it would probably be more fun for Blondie than it was for him.

One of Noctis' hands ghosted right over the top of Blondie's erection, just barely out of reach. If Blondie had canted his hips at all during the couple of seconds Noctis was moving, he probably could have pressed right into Noctis' hand, but he didn't. Not until it was too late, and his unlubed hand was resting gently on Blondie's thigh. Blondie was already squirming a little bit, and Noctis realized his breath was actually hitting his length, making it twitch with interest each time Noctis breathed out.

That coaxed Noctis' grin even wider.

Blondie was looking at him curiously, and Noctis slid the lubed hand up the mattress, easing one finger up and inside Blondie, listening as he sighed a soft and pleased sigh and watching as he rolled his hips _just slightly_. It was a little bit surprising, to be able to make someone wiggle around and sigh and breath heavily just with some gentle touches. With Loqi—there went his mind again, but honestly, that was all he really had to compare this to—it took a lot more to make him give physical shows of eagerness. Simple touches, simple _breaths_ , seemed to be making Blondie's head spin. Noctis was loving it, and they'd just barely gotten started.

Noctis gave a few quick brushes with one finger, as he breathed out a slow and steady breath against Blondie's skin, and he felt Blondie wiggling his hips a little bit more. That made him puff out a breath of laughter exactly as he slid his finger back in. Blondie responded with a sharp gasp and a quick rock of his hips.

"Please," he begged. "Please hurry up..."

It wasn't exactly the plea Noctis was hoping for, but it was definitely encouragement enough to add the second finger to the equation along with the first. He sped his attention up a little bit, abandoning his teasing to press an open-mouthed kiss to Blondie's thigh instead. His fingers moved a little bit, stretching, preparing Blondie for what was to come, while he moved to the other thigh, pressing a slow and lingering open-mouthed kiss there, as well.

Blondie gasped again, one of his hands clutching and twisting Noctis' bed sheets tightly. _"Please..."_ Blondie breathed out. "Please fuck me."

Sure, making Blondie beg had been Noctis' goal all along. What he _hadn't_ expected was the effect that plea would have on _him_. The sound of Blondie's voice drizzled into his ears like honey, telling Noctis exactly what he wanted to hear at the moment, and it was all he could do to keep composure. Before he _did_ lose composure, Noctis moved back up the bed and crawled back over Blondie. He leaned in for a kiss, slow and tantalizing, then leaned back upward and moved a hand to rest on Blondie's hip. That hand held Blondie in place while the other went down to hold his dick in position, before slowly starting to rock his hips upward, gently pushing Blondie's hips downward.

Two soft cries filled the room right then, one in Noctis' own voice, and one in Blondie's. Blondie panted heavily a couple of times, before pushing up on his elbows and meeting Noctis' eyes again.

"I'm not made of glass you know. You can... please..."

Noctis simply swallowed thickly, moving his hand from himself and letting it come to rest on Blondie's other hip. Then, he slowly lowered Blondie's hips the rest of the way, until he was completely buried, and his hips were pressed flush against Blondie's ass. The warmth and the pressure had him breathing a slow and steady breath from his nose and letting his head loll back a little bit, trying to find some sort of mental anchor to reality before he let himself start moving.

Unfortunately, Blondie didn't give him the chance. He moved a little bit, balancing his full weight on one elbow and reaching out with the other hand to grasp Noctis' shoulder gently. His eyes met Noctis' and he lifted his chin, silently communicating something that went completely over Noctis' head for a few seconds. It wasn't his fault. His brain wasn't exactly in charge of his body at the moment, and it was taking legitimately all of his willpower not to just... let go. He managed, though, keeping focus, trying to figure out exactly what Blondie wanted from him.

When Blondie moved his hand, he beckoned for Noctis' hand. Noctis complied, and Blondie placed the free hand on his ribs, then moved the other to the opposite rib.

"Help me up."

Oh. Oh, okay, that made sense. It was a little surprising, but Noctis nodded, laughing nervously. "S-sorry. Upstairs brain really isn't in charge," he admitted, as he slid his hands around Blondie's back and tugged him up so that their chests were flush against each other.

Blondie moved his legs around, sitting on his knees and putting himself at a slightly better angle, then wrapped his arms around Noctis' neck, and started rocking his hips back and forth. That wasn't what Noctis expected at _all_ , but he puffed a heavy breath outward and lowered his hands back down to Blondie's hips again, gently guiding him in slow and steady rocking motions as Noctis lifted his own hips to meet the movements. Noises—quiet at first but slowly increasing in volume and frequency—filled the room as they both tried to familiarize themselves with what movements and motions the other liked.

Every now and then, Noctis would silence them both by capturing Blondie's lips with his, kissing him hard and stealing what little breath either of them had left. Blondie buried his face in Noctis' shoulder, kissing him there a couple of times, then on his neck, then on the expanse of skin between the crook of his neck and his ear, then nibbling on the bottom of Noctis' earlobe...

… then stopping altogether and pulling in a sharp gasp when it seemed like Noctis had found _that_ spot. He arched his back, trapping his own dick between their two bellies for a second, letting his head drop back to Noctis' shoulder.

"F-fuck... that's good," he murmured into Noctis' flesh.

Noctis took the hint, moving his hands a little bit so he could hold Blondie's hips into place _without_ bruising them, then snapped his hips upward again to brush against that same spot. It was a challenge, but it was a worthwhile mission to hear that noise again. That, in and of itself, was almost hot enough to make Noctis lose it on its own. Almost. It was more the combination of that, the way Blondie's breath felt against his neck, and the warmth of his skin surrounding Noctis, all swirling around in a tornado and teaming up against him to _really_ make him lose his mind. 

It was Blondie, though, that lost it first. The dig of his fingertips clinging to Noctis' shoulderblades was the first sign Blondie was nearing the edge. The second was the attempts at speech, which only really came out as, "ah... ah, I... f-fuck," in sharp cries that echoed out through Noctis' room.

The third sign, and one that inevitably brought Noctis irretrievably close to his _own_ edge, was the muscle tension that made Noctis feel _every single movement_ all the more. It was so intense, so overwhelmingly amazing, Noctis barely noticed the sticky heat of Blondie's release as it coated the space between them. He gripped Blondie's hips a little bit tighter—he didn't _want_ to bruise him, and if he did, it was a complete and total accident—but _gods_ did he feel amazing right then. He dropped his own head, resting it against Blondie's shoulder and tried to focus on pulling air into his lungs.

Air honestly felt a little bit less important than just... finding his way to orgasm, though. He snapped his hips upward, and he was vaguely aware Blondie was _trying_ to move along with him again—his movements were a little bit lazier than before, and they didn't exactly match up as well—but his mind wasn't really together enough to appreciate the effort.

Finally, clinging to Blondie, and with an unintelligible cry they could probably hear all the way in Lestallum, Noctis let go.

For a few seconds, they just stayed there, collapsed against each other. Blondie had caught his breath by then, but Noctis was still struggling a little bit. That was... incredible. Something about Blondie's body felt amazing pressed against him, both inside and out, and something about the way Blondie was just brushing idle patterns along his back, easing him down from his high, was... a little bit surprising. Nice, but still surprising. Noctis breathed in a slow and steadying breath, before lifting his head from Blondie's shoulder and chuckling softly.

"That was... wow," Noctis murmured. Not exactly what he wanted to say, but it probably got his point across well enough. Hopefully.

Blondie chuckled and nodded his head in return, before sliding his hands down Noctis' shoulders and letting them rest on his forearms. "Yeah, it was pretty wow," he muttered under his breath, before wiggling just a little bit.

Noctis' upstairs brain was in control enough to get the hint now, and he nodded, releasing Blondie from his grip and allowing him to move. He huffed a tiny breath when Blondie lifted his hips and the cold air hit his dick for the first time since they'd started. Definitely cold, but it was sort of a wake-up call. A reminder that it was over now. Instead of focusing on that, Noctis quickly busied himself with moving to the side of the bed and discarding the condom into the trash can. Once he was finished, he gathered a box of tissues from the bottom of his nightstand, setting them in the middle of the bed.

After taking one for himself, he mumbled, "you can use one. To clean yourself up. If you want."

Awkward. Now that awareness was seeping in, Noctis realized how insane this whole situation was. He'd never actually had a one night stand before. That was what this was. Right? Because he didn't know Blondie at all—hell, he didn't even know Blondie's _name_ , but it was way too awkward to ask now—and not knowing someone's name made seeking out anything more than a one night stand pretty awkward.

Besides, even if he could, Noctis wasn't sure he was really ready for that yet.

"Thanks," Blondie replied, smiling a nervous smile at Noctis. "So, um... what now?"

That was the million gil question, wasn't it? What now? Did they just... go their separate ways? Was it weird for him to offer for Blondie to stay the night? It was kind of late, wasn't it? Noctis eyed his clock and blinked in stunned silence at the fact it was almost three in the morning. He didn't know when the club made people leave, but it had to be close to that time, didn't it? Blondie's friend, whoever he was, probably wouldn't be waiting, would he? Noctis didn't know how far away Blondie lived, but it would probably be easier and safer to get there in the morning, rather than crossing all of Insomnia in the middle of the night.

With that in mind, Noctis turned his head, watching as Blondie finished with his tissue and pulled his boxers back on. Smiling nervously again, he ticked his shoulder up in a shrug. "You can stay here tonight, if you want. Insomnia's not really dangerous at night, but it's probably safer and stuff. Staying here, I mean. If you want to."

Blondie looked surprised for a couple of seconds, then clamped down on his lower lip as he watched Noctis pick the tissue up from the bed and toss it in the garbage. It looked like he was turning it over in his head a couple of times, then turned to look back at Noctis, smirking and asking, "you think your dog will be a problem?"

That took Noctis genuinely off guard, but when his brain caught up, he laughed a couple of soft notes and shook his head. "No. I mean, maybe." Blondie was attractive, after all. "But it's a manageable problem, I promise."

"Of course it's manageable. If it is, we'll just take care of it again," Blondie teased, before pulling his legs back up and sliding them under the covers and doing a complete 180. "And then, tomorrow morning, before I leave, I'll make you the best bacon and eggs you've ever had." He smirked a little bit to himself as he took a quick glance around Noctis' room.

Having his bedroom examined by someone who he'd just had sex with made him way more anxious than being physically intimate with Blondie ever had. Especially when he noticed that Blondie's eyes had fallen upon the picture of Noctis with Loqi that he'd taken on his birthday last year. The _one memento_ Noctis couldn't bring himself to put away in his closet, and Blondie had found it like he had laser-guided vision. Noctis turned away quickly, reaching down to the floor and gathering his boxer briefs. Better to focus on putting those on than give Blondie an opportunity to ask questions.

Fortunately, it seemed like he wasn't going to. When Noctis relaxed against his pillows again, he was surprised to see Blondie relaxed as well, with his phone in his hand, sending a quick text message. More than likely to whatever friend he'd shown up at the club with. It reminded him he hadn't checked his phone since he'd sent Crowe and Cindy those texts on his way back to his apartment. That was okay. He'd message them in the morning.

Noctis watched as Blondie set his phone on the bedside table, and then relaxed a little bit more. Okay. So, he wasn't going to ask about the picture. That was good. Noctis' mind still spun, swirling in circles and wondering exactly what this meant. Tomorrow. He could ask Blondie tomorrow. With a gentle smile to the other side of the bed—which hadn't been used since Loqi had last slept there over a month ago—Noctis flipped the light switch over his side of the bed, laid back, and tried to fall asleep.

Sleep actually came a lot quicker than he thought, the mix of the booze still working its way through his system combining with the post-coital haze to make him tired. It wasn't long before he was out like a light. Good nights of sleep were few and far between ever since Loqi left, and Noctis wasn't sure exactly what made tonight different, but Blondie's presence in the bed was kind of nice, so he figured that more than likely had something to do with it. At a couple of different points overnight, Noctis was vaguely aware of the fact he felt an arm over his back, and at a couple of other points, when he was sleeping on his other side, he felt the warmth of skin flush against his chest and his arm draped over something warm.

Blondie was a cuddler. That was okay. So was Noctis.

However, when he woke up the next morning, he was a little bit surprised to see the opposite side of the bed empty. Noctis was fully aware he hadn't drank enough to make himself forget the night prior. There was no way, actually. Plus, he could still see the little bit of glitter decorating his pillows from Blondie's cheeks and his shoulders. So, why was he alone, then?

It was a kind of melancholy feeling—something he still hadn't gotten used to after all this time—waking up alone. It made sense, he guessed. He'd gotten so used to sharing a bed with Loqi for those two years that waking up, turning to the opposite side of the bed, and seeing no one, was a little bit of a lonely feeling. Even lonelier when he was positive that there was someone there when he'd fallen asleep. Blondie's presence had been so nice, such a nice reminder of what it felt like _not_ to fall asleep alone, that he found himself a little bit sadder than he expected when it was gone.

Okay, he wasn't actually _totally_ alone. Umbra was laying on the foot of the bed, curled up, and eyeing him curiously. Noctis eyed the clock and blinked a couple of times in stunned silence. It was almost eleven-thirty. It wasn't _that_ surprising he'd wake up this late on his own, but usually, by now, Ignis would have called him at least half a dozen times. Noctis turned his attention toward his phone to see he had _definitely_ missed a couple of calls from his friends. Ignis, namely, had called three times. It wasn't a half dozen, but it was definitely enough to make Noctis laugh to himself.

Crowe and Cindy both had texted him several times, too. The most recent one was from Cindy, asking him how he was still asleep. Beyond that, Crowe had called him twice.

It was the best night's sleep he'd ever gotten since Loqi left, though, so Noctis wasn't going to complain. He took a couple of seconds to text Crowe, Cindy, and Ignis and let them all know that he was fine, that Blondie wasn't a murderer. He was actually really nice, very sweet. Very good in bed was a detail that he kept to himself. Tempting as it was to say so, and make all of his friends laugh a little bit—or cringe, depending on who it was—Noctis wasn't that type of person.

Instead, he just pushed the blankets off of him and hesitantly rolled himself out of bed. Honestly, he didn't _want_ to get up, but the one thing that managed to _get_ him out of bed was the curiosity as to whether or not Blondie was still in his apartment. If he was, that was okay. If he wasn't? That was okay, too. They'd both known what this was going in, and Noctis was eternally grateful for exactly _what_ it was.

At least, for the most part.

Umbra hopped down from the bed and looked at him expectantly once he got up, and Noctis had to laugh a little bit. Normally, no matter how hesitantly, he'd be up by now and have taken Umbra to the dog park. It was okay to sleep in once in awhile, though, he guessed. Even though he was about two hours late for his medication... it was okay. He just couldn't let it turn into a habit, and now he had to make it up to Umbra, too. With how busy Noctis' night prior had been, Umbra had only been able to use the papers in his kennel to go to the bathroom, and he'd earned a nice walk to stretch. Plus, Noctis needed a little fresh air to wake up.

Stretching his arms up over his head, he made his way to the bedroom, taking his pills out, gathering two in his hand. He needed to take them with food, and had every intent to take them with toast or something—and then pick up some real breakfast up on the way to the dog park—but when he went to the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on, he noticed there was already a plate, sitting in the middle of his counter, and covered with a paper towel.

On top of it sat a note, reading:

 _Hey there, handsome._  
_Thanks for a great night last night, and thanks for letting me crash here. Your bed is really comfortable, I'm a little bit jealous!_  
_You didn't have much food, so I couldn't actually _make you the best breakfast ever, but let's call this the best half-assed__  
_breakfast ever, okay?_  
_Maybe I'll see you at Envy again sometime._

At the bottom of the note was a signature that Noctis couldn't even begin to understand even if he'd tried. It was just a scribble of chocobo scratch, and Noctis couldn't even pick out a legible letter in the mess. Noctis didn't really have neat handwriting either, so he couldn't expect some random stranger to be any better at it than he was. Next to the signature was what looked like two numbers, which were quickly and heavily scratched out, too.

Below that, though, was a quickly written, _PS: Your dog is the friendliest dog I have ever met in my whole life. I love him._ Following that, in what looked like hastily-written chicken-scratch was, _PPS: I MEANT THE CANINE. Though that was pretty friendly too, I guess..._

Noctis laughed aloud. "Guess he liked you better than me, buddy. I think I'm a little bit jealous," he murmured to Umbra, before scratching the side of his nose and taking the paper towel from the top of the food Blondie had cooked.

Eggs, toast, and bacon. All cold. Noctis wasn't sure how long they'd been out, but honestly, no matter how long they _had_ been out, he was sure he'd had worse. Like the pizza he'd eaten that had been sitting on his dining room table for almost a week. That hadn't killed him, and he highly doubted this would, either. Still, just to be on the safe side, he slid the food into the microwave and set it to heat up for about a minute. Eat, take a shower, take Umbra for a walk, then work on his sketch for his architectural drawing class.

It seemed like a kind of boring day, but after the really eventful night he'd had, a boring day sounded pretty alright.

A glance around the room had Noctis chuckling a little bit as he caught sight of the underside of his front door. It looked like Ignis had already been down to get his mail, and picked Noctis' up while he was there. Honestly, Noctis could already feel the dread building. He was pretty sure most of his mail was bills, and Ignis had already braced him for the fact he would probably have to get a new roommate soon.

The microwave went off as he flipped through the envelopes, and although he wanted to be excited about the breakfast Blondie had made for him, he couldn't bring himself to. Every single envelope was either junk mail or a bill, just as expected. It wasn't like Noctis was destitute or anything. He was living here on a combination of his art grant and his dad's assistance. It was just that he'd been dating Loqi since he moved into the apartment, and Loqi had helped a little bit with the bills. Now the support was gone, so Noctis would have to rely on his dad again.

Unless he got a roommate.

It wasn't that he didn't _want_ a roommate, it was just that _getting_ a roommate was such a shot in the dark. Either they were good, and there was compatibility, and everything was fine... or they were horrible, and constant fighting ensued, and nothing was fine. Still, Noctis wanted to rely a little bit less on his dad. He wanted his dad to be able to focus on himself, and not always have to worry about loaning Noctis a little extra cash when he was short on rent. Or, without Loqi, a _lot_ of cash.

Later, after he brought Umbra to the dog park, he'd talk to Ignis and Ravus and get some advice on how to start a proper roommate search. He paused to laugh bitterly to himself as he set the mail down on the table and picked a piece of bacon up from the counter. So much for a boring day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things got steamy REAL QUICK up in here. ;3
> 
> Thanks to Chellie for the beta, once more! From now on, I think this fic is going to update on Tuesdays, so be on the lookout! ♥


	3. Toes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _if i were to hideout on the sea,_  
>  _you’d be whispering from the westerlies._  
>  _and any book i’ll ever read;_  
>  _you’d be the line that sticks out to me..._  
> [toes](https://open.spotify.com/track/3nrMBtbL4zFIPuDo8e5Sf4?si=HhkKvYSjRlubDRrq373r7g) ;; lights  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4JABTb6v7k) ]

"Yes, with your finances where they currently are, to maintain your present lifestyle, you would have to rely quite heavily on your father for assistance," Ravus mused, pushing his glasses up his nose as he leaned back up from the piece of paper he'd been doing all of Noctis' financial math on.

Noctis sighed quietly. He knew, of course, Loqi had been helping him a little bit with things. It was actually one of the conditions Noctis' dad gave for Loqi to even _live_ with Noctis in the beginning. He had to pay for at least a third of the rent, some of the groceries, utilities, and whatever other little things were added to the apartment. In the beginning, Noctis was pretty sure it was because his dad _hated_ Loqi. Noctis realized that it was more than that now, though, as he looked over the paperwork on Ignis and Ravus' kitchen table.

On the plus side, there were a couple of things he could cancel now. The cable TV had been Loqi's idea, as had the subscriptions to those machinist magazines, and Loqi's name on his car insurance. Those were all small things, though. With all of the things he _was_ helping to pay, Noctis wouldn't be able to break even with just his grants and still be able to eat or do anything fun for himself. 

Frowning, Noctis eyed the paper and then looked up at Ravus with a shake of his head. "I don't want to do that. Like, I know Dad can afford it and everything, and he'd definitely do it if I asked him to, but..." Glancing back down at the paper, he ran a hand through his hair and puffed a breath through his nose.

"Naturally, you have no desire to ask him to pay your whole rent and then some," Ravus agreed, setting the pencil down on the table and nodding along with Noctis.

Ignis, from across the room where he was putting together lunch for the three of them, interjected with a soft hum. "I don't think getting a roommate will be terrible for you anyway, Noctis. A new roommate could become a new friend, hm?" he asked as he cut the crust from Noctis' sandwich. Some people called his preference for crust-free sandwiches childish, but Noctis had never really grown out of it.

"A new friend," Noctis mumbled, shrugging his head to the side. "I mean, yeah, I guess. But it's like... it's always a coin toss. You know? You might get a good roommate, everything _might_ be cool. But you also might get a psychopath who makes your whole existence miserable."

The room was quiet, and Noctis heard Ravus huffing in vague annoyance, before he spoke up again. "It seems to me your choices are rather simple, Noctis. Either you find a roommate and split the rent with them, or you request substantially more financial help from your father. It isn't exactly rocket science." He leaned back in his chair and took a long, slow sip from his coffee cup.

Ravus was good at that, truthfully. While sometimes Ignis would treat Noctis with kid gloves, Ravus didn't. Most of the time, it was kind of a pain. Like when Ravus (at Ignis' suggestion) was the one who tried to physically kick Loqi out of Noctis' apartment after the cheating was discovered. Of course, Noctis had planned to do it anyway, but he was the one who wanted to do it. Besides that, a part of him had still wanted to try and work things out. In the end, though, Ravus was right to be so blunt about it. It was the right choice, and Noctis knew it, even if the ramifications of it were still being felt more than a month later. Noctis sighed a little bit to himself as he turned the options over in his head for a few minutes and scratched a hand through his hair.

"Try not to fret too much about it, Noctis," Ignis insisted as he brought a sandwich and a bottle of Jetty's over. "We will, of course, assist you with your roommate search."

With an eyebrow arched, Ravus looked at Ignis over the frames of his glasses and tilted his head to the side. "We will, will we?" he asked. Ravus wasn't angry. Ravus was never _actually_ angry with Ignis when he made suggestions like that. It was more of a gentle annoyance over having to take time out of his day for this whole situation.

Ignis, though, wasn't fazed by it in the least. He nodded his head once, setting a sandwich in front of Ravus as well. "Of course," he confirmed. "After all, considering they'll be our upstairs neighbors, whoever Noctis selects as a roommate will more than likely directly affect us, will it not?"

"Fair point," Ravus confirmed, his expression softening and his eyes taking on a gentle characteristic which they only ever took when he glanced at Ignis.

It was a little bit embarrassing, having them insist on helping him find a roommate like he couldn't do it himself. At the same time, though, he knew he would inevitably end up _wanting_ the help. Ravus and Ignis were a lot more perceptive than Noctis was, even if Ravus was a little bit harsher than Ignis was. Noctis' own trust in people was a little bit shaken at the moment; the only person to really buck the trend so far had been Blondie from a couple of nights ago. Admittedly, a tiny piece of Noctis regretted not asking for his name, or his number or _something_ , so he could keep in contact.

That would be weird, though. They'd both known what it was going in. It was just a fling. Just something convenient, which was okay. Noctis didn't expect anything more. Still, Blondie had been really nice to him. It was a little bit stupid, how he still found his mind wandering back to Blondie in quiet moments. Maybe Noctis was just bad at one night stands. At least he knew it now, and it was probably better to learn with a _nice_ guy than with someone who would make fun of him or be an asshole or something.

Quickly, he shook the thought off. Not quickly enough, though, because when he looked back up at Ignis and Ravus, both of them were looking at him with intrigue, like they'd both caught on to the fact way he'd been a million miles away or something.

Noctis should have known better than to think he could hide his thought process from Ignis, though. Ignis had known him since he was in diapers, so even though Noctis could hide a lot of things from many people, Ignis wasn't one of them. When he realized that he'd been caught, Noctis cleared his throat and took a bite from the sandwich, quickly making a face, which hopefully covered for the way he'd been off in the corners of his own mind.

"Tomatoes? C'mon, Specs," Noctis announced, peeling back the top slice of bread and looking at the lettuce and tomato on the top layer of the sandwich. "And lettuce? I'm not a chocobo!"

As soon as Noctis moved to pull the vegetables from his sandwich, though, Ravus pushed his hand back down onto the table and shook his head no. "Waste your own vegetables in your own apartment," he narrowed his eyes. "When you're in _our_ apartment, you eat the food we bought. We both know you're not allergic to lettuce or tomatoes, so I fully expect the entirety of your sandwich to be on its way to your stomach before you leave." He peered at Noctis over the top of his glasses again.

Ignis grinned slyly, but he quickly tried to cover it up with a hand over his mouth. It was too late, though. Noctis saw it pretty clearly. When he lowered his hand again, his eyes still twinkled in amusement as he placed a hand on Ravus' shoulder. "I was merely going to tell him to eat the rest of it, but I think I like this better. Thank you, love," he mused, pressing a kiss to the top of Ravus' head.

With a dramatic gag—both at the vegetables and at the display of affection—Noctis turned his head away and glanced back down at the sandwich. Namely, at the offensive vegetables. He knew Ravus was half-serious about insisting Noctis finish the whole sandwich, but he honestly wanted to argue even less than he wanted to eat the vile plants. So, he took another bite, ignoring the lip-curling feeling that came with the crunch which, in Noctis' opinion, had _no place_ on a garula steak sandwich. A quick glance up showed Ravus, seemingly amused by the whole situation, as he took another bite and then a sip of his own coffee.

"There, see? They haven't killed you yet," Ravus declared.

Whether or not the vegetables were lethal was beside the point, but Noctis just rolled his eyes and uncapped the bottle of soda quickly, taking a long drink to wash the plant flavor from his mouth. "Yet is the key word," he responded as soon as he swallowed it down.

Ignis sat in the chair next to Ravus, tugging his boyfriend's coffee cup toward him and taking a long drink, before pulling his own sandwich close to him and picking up one of the small quarters he'd cut it into. "Now," he said calmly, "where do you want to start your roommate search, Noctis? We can start on the internet, or we can post flyers. It's truly up to you." As soon as he finished speaking, he took a bite of his sandwich and then relaxed in his chair.

That was another million gil question, truthfully. Noctis had no idea where to start a roommate search. It wasn't something he'd actively had to do before, and he was pretty sure neither Ravus or Ignis had been through it either. All Noctis really had to go on was the way it always seemed to go in movies. Horrible roommate after horrible roommate living in his apartment for a few days at a time, until Noctis couldn't take their presence anymore. Gods did he hope it didn't come to that. It wasn't like Noctis was an impatient person. He really did like people, and he didn't like to be super dramatic about things like this either, but... he liked his space the way he had it. Not such a bad thing, right?

So, he simply shrugged and set the bottle of soda down, before taking another bite of the gross, vegetable-filled sandwich. "I honestly have no clue," he admitted. "Maybe flyers, but in places we can see them, so we can see who picks them up?"

Ravus nodded his head. "I can also ask around campus, to see if any students are in need of a roommate. I know you're well-liked on campus, Noctis. I'm sure one of your friends would be willing to move in with you," he offered with a single nod, like he was going to do it whether Noctis agreed to it or not.

Noctis honestly didn't see the point in arguing. He just nodded his head and huffed a soft sigh.

Ignis interjected before Noctis could speak up in agreement. "I can also place a flyer in my bakery, and I'm sure Gladiolus would be willing to put one up in the bookstore. Aranea, Crowe, and Cindy would be more than willing to assist, as well. Would that be a comfort? At least knowing your roommate would end up being a friend of a friend?"

Noctis nodded. That was pretty comforting, actually, knowing, at the very least, his friends wouldn't let someone weirdo move in with him. Part of him wished he could kind of just... go back in time to before this whole mess came to light. He didn't _really_ wish he'd never known, he didn't _really_ wish Gladio hadn't found the truth out, but he just wished Loqi had never felt the _need_ to cheat. It wasn't like Noctis had lost interest. He'd just been so busy for a few months with school, and trying to make sure he kept his grades up and didn't lose his grant.

Not too unreasonable, was it? To Loqi, though, it seemed to come off as lack of interest. So, rather than talking to Noctis about it, rather than trying to confirm if Noctis really _had_ lost interest, he just assumed. Assumed and cheated.

Before Noctis sank even further into this ugly thought spiral, Ignis seemed to catch on and elbowed Ravus in the arm gently, and Ravus responded by reaching his prosthetic arm up to place on Noctis' shoulder. "Perhaps you shouldn't worry about it too much for today, Noctis," he suggested.

Ignis nodded his agreement and glanced toward the door. "You should go and get some fresh air, in fact. Perhaps take Umbra to the park, or to the pond to fish."

That was when Noctis realized exactly how much he was moping. Ignis never suggested for him to go fishing unless he was being really pathetic. Still, it did sound kind of nice to just grab Umbra and his pole, walk to the pond in the park, and fish until the sun went down like he always used to when he was a kid. Back then, it was him with his dad, but last Noctis knew, his dad was out of town on business. Altissia, he was pretty sure. He'd be gone until at least the end of next week, but if he got held up it was possible for him to be gone until the beginning of next month.

Fishing alone was still okay, though. Noctis nodded his head and stuffed the last little bit of sandwich into his mouth. "Yeah," he spoke around a mouthful of food. "I fink I wiww."

"Charming," Ravus sneered, huffing in annoyance and turning his head away. "It's a wonder you're-"

Ravus didn't get to finish his sentence. Ignis elbowed him in the side and shot him a glare cold enough to make Shiva herself feel cold. It was enough to make Noctis forget about the sort of embarrassing, but _really_ saddening thing Ravus had just said, and finish off his drink, before standing up and pushing the chair back in.

With a grateful smile at his friends, Noctis gave a gentle salute and said, "thanks, guys. For helping me with my finances and for deciding to help me out with the roommate thing. I still don't know if it's a great idea, or if I really like it, but I really don't want to have to put my dad out more than I already do, so you're probably right. A roommate is... probably a good idea," he mused with a nervous smile.

"Of course," Ignis agreed.

Ravus nodded. "And you're welcome. Try not to stress yourself too much, okay, Noctis?" he insisted.

Easy to say, harder to do. Ravus was ultimately right, and Noctis nodded his head as he deposited the plate in the sink and the bottle in the recycle bin. "I'll try. And I'll text you once I figure out what I want to put on the flyer, too. I can handle that part myself, as long as you guys spread the word and turn away any crazies you see," he added as he backed toward the door. Maybe it was a little bit rude, but as soon as Ignis put the idea of fishing in his head, Noctis realized he really wanted to go.

After saying a quick goodbye to his friends, Noctis hurried up the stairs to his apartment, and quickly gathered his fishing gear from the closet next to the door. Umbra seemed to instantly realize what was going on, and he trotted up beside Noctis as soon as he heard the closet door open. Noctis always took Umbra along when he went fishing, and the dog was smart enough to realize the sound of rustling in the closet meant it was time to go for a walk. There was a vague concern that a non-friendly rustling in the closet, like a burglar or something, would happen someday, and Umbra would _still_ think it was time for a walk, but Noctis knew his dog wasn't stupid.

As Noctis brought his gear back to the coffee table in the living room, he sighed again. Loqi used to hate it when he was gone all day fishing. He used to get bored and antsy in the apartment all by himself. A part of Noctis wondered if that was when he'd started cheating. He quickly stopped himself from climbing further down the rabbit hole, though, because the rest of him knew the dangers of treading down this path. All it would do was make him question if they'd ever really been genuine or if Loqi was just using him for a convenience and his dad's money. That wasn't true, and he knew it deep down. At least for awhile, he'd _known_ Loqi cared about him. 

It would be okay. It had to be okay. Noctis would move on, find someone else someday. For now, he was totally fine on his own. Recovering.

With his tackle box and fishing supplies organized, Noctis hooked Umbra on his leash and then stepped out into the hallway, waving to a couple of his other neighbors as they headed into their own apartment. Umbra hated stairs, so Noctis had to use the elevator—of course, Umbra didn't particularly care for the elevator, either, and to prove it, he glued himself almost completely to Noctis' shin on the way down—and then headed out into the warm summer day.

Actually, warm felt a little bit inadequate, Noctis thought as he adjusted the pack with his fishing supplies on his shoulder. It was hot. July was right around the corner, and that’s when it got _really_ hot, He glanced up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun, and wondered for a couple of minutes if he should turn around and go get his sunscreen. He was sure the answer was yes, but the rest of him didn't really want to make Umbra go through the whole elevator ride _three_ more times today, Maybe he'd just buy some. Some of the stores near his apartment let him bring Umbra inside.

Noctis made it a couple of steps, glancing down the alley next to his building and chuckled to himself when he spotted Envy on the other side. He honestly didn't know why he kept looking at the club. It wasn't like he had any real attachment to it or anything; there was no reason to want to go back. Still, though he'd never admit it aloud, Cindy and Crowe were right: the place was exactly what he needed.

Plus, maybe—just maybe—a small piece of him was hoping he'd see Blondie.

What would he even do if he _did_ see Blondie, though? It wasn't like he'd run to the other side of the alley, arms waving in the air, eager expression on his face, probably freaking Blondie out with every step. All just to say... what exactly? That Noctis was bad at one night stands and thought Blondie was pretty cute, and was disappointed when he couldn't read Blondie's name on the note? Yeah, because that wasn't creepy or anything. It was probably for the best, he hadn't seen Blondie anywhere since the other day. Better to leave with a good impression than screw it up by seeing him again.

He paused for a few seconds when he realized Umbra was distracted by a group of bushes surrounding a tree. The tree was one of his common pee spots, so Noctis had no choice but to stop, really. It was a little bit annoying, how Umbra had paused when he could still see Envy on the other side of the alley, allowing his mind to wander back to Blondie _again_ , but he wasn't going to get mad at the dog for it.

What was there to get mad about, anyway? It wasn't like thinking of Blondie was a bad thing. Just, maybe a little bit frustrating when he hadn't thought to just say "hey, what's your name" when he had the chance. Ultimately, it didn't really matter a whole lot. It wasn't like he expected this one night fling with Blondie to blossom into an epic romance. He was pretty sure he still wasn't ready for romance yet. Even so, maybe they could come out of it as friends. Or they could have. If Noctis wasn't a grade A idiot.

Umbra finally finished his business, and Noctis found himself feeling a mixture of relief and regret. A weird and jarring combination, but he decided to go with the relief and ignore the regret as he took off toward the pond again. Not an easy task with a dog who seemed to want to get distracted by every single thing he passed by. A quick trip to the store, where he got a couple of bottles of water to put in the small bowl he had in his pack for Umbra, some sunscreen for himself, and he was off again.

The park where Noctis fished was a little ways across town, in a slightly less populated area. It was still kind of busy—people liked to bring their kids to this park, especially since it was so far away from the bustle of the park on his side of town—but it was a lot calmer, a lot quieter. He could hear the kids laughing and a couple of dogs barking. That seemed to attract Umbra's attention, but with a gentle-but-firm command of "no," Umbra found his way back to Noctis' side again.

Then... he heard it.

It hit his ears from the east. The first thing he heard was the soft and relaxing tone of an acoustic guitar. Noctis knew there were a lot of performers who played in the park. Some of them were hired by the city to play in the gazebo, but others were just street performers, trying to make a couple of quick bucks. This, it seemed, was the latter. The gazebo was to the west, but this was definitely coming from the east.

Noctis found himself subconsciously turning toward the music, and he heard Umbra make a sound next to him. Noctis wasn't sure, but he always took the noises his dog made to correspond with his mood. This one, he assumed, was questioning; curious about why Noctis wasn't already at the pond, and why Umbra wasn't lounging on the dock to soak up the sun by now.

"Sorry, Umbra. I hear some nice music, though. You hear it, yeah?"

The way he turned in the direction Noctis was facing with his ears perked was a little bit like a confirmation. Like he was saying, "yeah, I hear it!" and like he was asking Noctis to go and check it out. That, Noctis was sure, was his own curiosity projecting on the dog.

It was an easy way to justify it to himself.

The song wasn't familiar, but Noctis liked the sound of a good acoustic guitar. It sounded trained, but maybe a little bit modified at the same time. There was a raw quality to it, like he wasn't following the rules exactly. In a good way. As he walked closer—well, as Umbra tugged him closer—Noctis could hear the voice accompanying the song. It was gentle, and a little bit raspy and lilting... and there was something weirdly familiar about it, too.

Between his curiosity and Umbra's relentless tugging on his leash, Noctis found himself moving a little bit faster, trying to take care to weave through the crowd that had gathered around the guitarist.

It took considerable effort to stop Umbra from just rushing forward when they made it through the crowd, but Noctis managed, reaching down further on the leash and tugging his dog back a little bit. Why in the _hell_ was Umbra so excited? Usually, he only got so excited like this when he saw someone familiar. People he knew, people he liked. Gladio, especially, got an eager reaction because Umbra loved it when Gladio played fetch with him or chased him through the park. Noctis was pretty sure no one he knew played guitar, let alone on the street, so he had absolutely no idea what could have been making his dog go so insane.

When he lifted his head, the realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and completely drained any thought from his mind. Blondie looked at him in surprise, blinking a couple of times but still not missing any chords or notes on his guitar or any words in his song, and Noctis wished he could be that levelheaded.

He wasn't. Not even close.

The very second his eyes focused in on Blondie, he felt his whole face heat up with a burning red flush out of nowhere. As he crouched down, trying to hold Umbra in place so he didn't just run up to Blondie and knock him over, completely interrupting his song, he took in Blondie's image.

This version of Blondie was very different from the one he'd seen at the club, but he was definitely still recognizable. He wore the same sneakers, which was an odd thing to recognize, but Noctis remembered every stupid _detail_ about Blondie from the other night, so seeing the sneakers—while probably not a legitimate confirmation—was enough for his mind at the moment. He wore a different tank top this time, this one bright blue with a stripe along the chest, and a different pair of jeans. They still hugged his legs and his ass in places which made Noctis _vividly_ remember exactly how those bits of flesh and muscle felt underneath his fingertips.

Most notably, though, his hair was different. It wasn't tousled up into a style style kind of like chocobo's butt plumage—how the style had worked on _anyone_ was a mystery, but it worked pretty well on Blondie—but instead, his bangs fell down into his eyes and the top of his hair was flatter to his head. It was more subdued, but he still looked great. His shoulders, his nose, and his cheeks were slightly burned by the sun, which only served to make his freckles pop from his face, and Noctis could practically feel the breath being stolen from his lungs.

Blondie looked like he belonged on a surfboard in Galdin Quay, but Noctis was glad he wasn't. Noctis was glad he was here.

Standing up straight, Noctis watched as Umbra sat next to him and panted eagerly at Blondie, like he was waiting for some attention. Blondie smirked at him, and in a break in the vocals, he raised his head to smirk at Noctis, too, which made Noctis' cheeks flush even redder as he tried to smile back. The smile didn't exactly reach his eyes, though it wasn't because it was sad. It was more because he was incredibly confused by the whole situation. Blondie was here. It was great, but Noctis was curious as to how everything—his mind, and apparently the Astrals, too—wanted to lead him right back into Blondie's space.

Rather than focus on it, when he was pretty sure it would break his brain, he watched as Blondie finished his song. While Noctis would never have pegged the mysterious and happy-go-lucky boy he'd met the other night at Envy as a street performer, he was actually a really good singer, and just as good at playing the guitar. His voice seemed to have enthralled all of the people around him, too, and Noctis watched as several others stepped forward and tossed change and gil bills into his guitar case. He'd amassed a pretty decent payout, Noctis noticed at a glance.

" _I think about you all the time, but I don't need the same..._ " Blondie sang, his head focused on the ground as he tapped his toes to try and keep the beat. " _It's lonely where you are, come back down; and I won't tell 'em your name..._ "

By the end of the song, Noctis found himself smiling a big dumb smile. Now it added up, exactly how in tune he'd been with the beat of the song at the club. It took a performer to know those types of things, Noctis had always assumed. 

When Blondie finished singing and plucking along, he looked up at the group around him and smirked. "Thanks, everyone," he murmured. "I, uh... I actually need a little bit of a break, so..." He paused, scratching the back of his neck and reached a little bit further for his guitar strap while he did. "I'll probably be back in a bit if you want to hear more, but if not, I'm here most weekends!"

Noctis watched him for a few more seconds, and then looked around as most of the group seemed to take the hint and dissipate. A couple of kids stayed, until their mother pulled them away, and a teenage girl stood a few feet away, before she backed off with a dreamy sigh, squealing to her friend about how the song was "so romantic." Noctis probably should have taken the hint, too. In fact, he probably _would_ have, if Umbra hadn't suddenly gotten really excited and started jumping like he _desperately_ wanted to go and see Blondie.

When Noctis glanced at Blondie, a smile overtook his face against his will at the way Blondie was waving at Umbra. Okay, well, if he wanted to pet Umbra, there was no reason to hold the dog back then, was there? Noctis loosened his hold on the leash just a little, then watched with a widening grin as Blondie crouched down to pet Umbra's neck and let the dog lick his face.

"Looks like you left an impression."

Blondie turned his head to look up at Noctis, then smirked as he looked back down at Umbra. "It's okay, so did he," he offered in return, laughing as Umbra placed both paws on his shoulders and practically pummeled him to the grass.

 _Just him?_ was the question hiding right behind Noctis' closed lips, but he didn't ask it.It wasn't like he was _supposed_ to leave an impression, anyway. Just a quick fling. Just one night. Nothing really worth mentioning. Right?

Instead, Noctis stepped forward and pulled Umbra back just a little bit, chuckling as Blondie propped himself up on his elbows... a position which made Noctis' cheeks heat up a little bit further. It was strikingly familiar to the way he'd been laying on Noctis' bed just a couple of nights ago, and Noctis had to clear his throat and speak up to avoid making an even bigger idiot out of himself.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled.

Blondie shook his head no as he pulled himself to a seated position. "Don't sweat it," he answered, before trying to get up and being stopped by Umbra obsessively licking his face again. He fell back to his ass on the ground, and then burst out in another round of laughter.

Noctis couldn't help but laugh too, as he stepped forward and pulled Umbra back, then extended his opposite hand to help Blondie up. "You sure I shouldn't worry about it?" he asked.

With the same smile—the one that could easily force mountains to move and bend Eos itself to his whim—Blondie peered up at him from behind a curtain of blond hair as he accepted Noctis' hand. "Only if you agree to share your dog with me."

"Didn't I already do that?"

Noctis' answer came so quickly, that Blondie just blinked at him a couple of times at first. He stayed where he was, staring blankly with his hand in Noctis', trying to figure out what he meant at first. It looked like the joke didn't even register, but Noctis could almost identify the moment when the words clicked into place and Blondie realized exactly what he said. At first, his eyes widened, then his mouth opened just slightly, and he laughed quietly, nervously, as his cheeks dusted an even _brighter_ shade of red.

Blondie just laughed another couple soft notes, covering his face with his hand and nodding a couple of times. "You totally did," he answered, obviously embarrassed. "I meant... I meant the canine, though."

"I know," Noctis answered with a little grin. Just behind his lips, there was a question as to whether Blondie wanted to share the _other_ dog again, but he didn't ask it aloud. Better to just go with the flow than to chance making an even bigger idiot of himself.

Finally, Noctis pulled Blondie up from the ground with a gentle grunt and smiled at him again. He doubted his own smile held the same Eos-shaking power that Blondie's did, but Blondie's was just _that_ contagious. Noctis couldn't help it. "I mean, I think he's pretty much decided he has partial ownership of you already. I'd probably have more trouble keeping him _away_ from you at this point," he mused, stuffing the hand he'd used to help Blondie up into his pocket.

Blondie laughed, before turning his head to glance around the park. He stopped for a second after his gaze fell on a food truck, and then pointed at it over his shoulder. "Get lunch with me?" he asked.

"My treat," Noctis responded, without even realizing the words had come out. As soon as he did, he chuckled a little bit at his own expense.

Blondie turned his head to glance down at the grass beneath his feet. Noctis could see the tiny smile on his face even before he turned to look back up, but when he did, it was all the brighter, all the more genuine, and all the more gorgeous. "Beat me to it. But okay," he answered sheepishly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQOBUrRaPU0) Blondie was playing!
> 
> Yesss, our boys see each other again! ♥


	4. Ordinary Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _as i looked up into those eyes, his vision borrows mine._  
>  _and i know he's no stranger,_  
>  _for i feel i've held him for all of time..._  
> [ordinary day](https://open.spotify.com/track/6kcEeXcDca8oe9dlvYeGmI?si=gw7em8GCRCK8Y6uligocbA) ;; vanessa carlton  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdmbjaReGmY) ]

"So, you're a musician, then?"

That, Noctis realized, was as dumb an opening line as his pickup line at the club. Obviously, Blondie was a musician. Noctis had just seen him playing, and playing _well_ for that matter, so obviously, he played music. Before he could make an even bigger idiot out of himself, he took a giant bite out of the hot dog he'd bought, turning his head toward Umbra, who seemed content to snack on the burger patty Noctis had given him. It was easier than listening as Blondie laughed at him, or made fun of him for yet _another_ idiotic line.

Much to his surprise, there was no laughter, though. Blondie just hummed a gentle confirmation through a mouthful of fries, then took a noisy sip of his soda to clear his mouth, before answering. "In my free time, anyway. I _wish_ this was my for real job," he chuckled softly. "I work at the Crow's Nest on Centum Ave. Mostly waiting tables and cleanup, so it's not so bad. Between hourly and tips, plus the money I get from this... y'know? I'm okay."

Noctis wasn't going to judge someone for working at a fast food place honestly. Or make them think they were lesser for it either. "Centum Ave., huh? That one's close to my apartment," he pointed out, then paused and laughed, "not that you need to be told, I guess..." and took another bite of hot dog, to keep himself from making an even bigger idiot of himself.

Blondie chuckled again, and ticked his shoulder up in a gentle shrug. "Yeah, it's kind of why I was at Envy that night actually. Dino—he uh, he owns the jeweler's across the street from the Crow's Nest—pretty much ambushed me once we both got out of work, dragged me home, made me change, and told me we were going clubbing," he answered.

After daring himself to glance back, Noctis caught sight of Blondie's face, and couldn't help but smile a little bit in response. There was a gentle shyness in his expression, like he was letting Noctis in on a big secret or something, but truth be told, he was still a little bit clueless. As much as he wanted to ask, they were still relative strangers. Relative strangers who'd had sex, and apparently were friendly enough to share lunch together on a bench. Blondie was good company. Even if things felt a little bit awkward on Noctis' part.

"It's, uh, not my usual scene," Blondie confessed, taking the mystery work out of the equation for Noctis. "I'm more the sit at home and watch Netflix until I binge-watch a whole show, or go to the movies and see a double feature kind of person. It wasn't bad or anything? Like, I love dancing, and I had a great time-" He paused and cast Noctis a sidelong glance, which Noctis was _sure_ was supposed to have some sort of meaning- "so, I'm glad I went and everything? But... I wasn't expecting it. I think I'm still washing glitter out of my hair."

Noctis laughed. "Out of my pillowcase, too."

There was a bit of awkward silence between them, once Blondie laughed and murmured an apology under his breath, but he recovered quickly, as he turned to glance sidelong at Noctis. "So, um... what about you?" he asked.

"Me?" Noctis returned, unable to keep the curiosity out of his voice. "What about me?"

Blondie quirked a grin, and then shrugged his head to the side. "I mean, I guess that's a fair question. It could mean a lot of things. I already know boxers or briefs," he mused, ticking the idea off on a finger. "I already know what your apartment looks like, so that's out. Guess I _could_ have been asking what you do for a living, but... that would make too much sense, wouldn't it."

Even though he was teasing, there was a gentleness in his tone, which made it hard to get mad. Plus, the look in his eyes... and his _smile_. Noctis definitely couldn't get mad, and he couldn't help but reciprocate the smile with one of his own. He tossed the paper doily from his hot dog into a nearby trash can, and picked up an onion ring, breaking it in half and shrugging his shoulders.

"I go to Insomnia U," he explained, turning to glance at Blondie again. "I'm an art major... which, I know, sounds useless, but I take minor classes in education, so if worse comes to worse, I could always be an-"

Blondie interrupted him with a shake of his head. "I don't think it's useless," he countered. "I mean, if you want to make that argument, you could also tell me that my playing on the sidewalk is useless, right? Art isn't useless. The world's kinda... a really crappy place without it if you ask me." He let the smile overtake his face again as he took another fry from his basket.

Noctis nodded his head. "No, I agree. Guess I'm just used to people telling me to like... get a real job or go to school for something real. But art's real to me, y'know? I don't want to be famous and travel the world or anything—though the traveling part would be kinda cool—I really just want to have a small gallery in town and sell stuff locally. Be an _Insomnian_ attraction," he admitted. He didn't usually talk about this stuff, because most of the time people thought he _did_ want to be a big art superstar. Most people expected him to want to be known around the world, especially knowing how big of a name his dad was in the business world, but it wasn't quite so simple.

Just like he had in every other way, though, Blondie seemed to be throwing that opinion and thought process on its head. "What kind of art?" he asked, smirking a little bit as Umbra appeared at his feet.

"Any, really. But my favorite types are life drawing and abstract painting." Noctis watched as Umbra leaned against Prompto and couldn't help but laugh softly again. "My dad used to joke with me about how I could probably make a billion gil just slapping multicolored paint on a page, but when I explained to him how every piece of art has a message either about the artist or the world, he stopped teasing me about it. Well... as much. My dad's kind of a troll..."

Blondie smirked. "My dad's kinda the same way. He works as security for some big business tycoon and everything, so he's probably supposed to be scary? But he's literally the nicest guy in the world. The biggest teddy bear, who doesn't even know how to be mean, even when I deserve it. He and my mom adopted me when I was little, so I'm pretty sure he just... spoils me rotten or something. Must be an adoption thing," he mused as he set his half-empty basket of fries off to the side and called Umbra up into his lap.

"Hey, mine spoils me pretty bad, too," Noctis shrugged, "so I don't think it's an adoption thing."

"Just a dad thing, then," Blondie shrugged, smiling a serene smile as Umbra settled in on his lap, and smoothed his fingers through the dog's fur.

Noctis nodded, then leaned his head back, glancing through the leaves on the tree over his head, getting little peeks of blue sky between them. "Yeah. Something like that."

It was a little bit weird, for a silence between two strangers to actually feel comfortable. Noctis wasn't sure if he'd ever experienced it before, but the way Blondie was just relaxing with Umbra on his lap, and the way the sun was warming him on the bench, Noctis actually felt a lot more relaxed than he'd felt in a long time. He turned his head, glancing at Blondie, who was looking at him with an odd expression on his face. Part of it was expectant, but the rest of it was curious. Questioning. Like he had something just behind his lips, and he really wanted to ask.

So, Noctis opened the conversation up a little bit. "What's up?" he asked.

"Oh," Blondie answered quietly. "Just curious if you were ever going to tell me what your name is, or if I'm supposed to wonder. You know mine." The words were spoken with a gentle lightheartedness, but there was a little bit of a questioning lilt there, like he was actually wondering why Noctis hadn't asked yet.

Noctis laughed an awkward note, and then shook his head. "I don't, actually."

"I signed the note…"

Smirking, Noctis teased, "if you think I could read that, you're drastically overestimating my decoding skills…"

Blondie paused, then laughed aloud. He rubbed his fingers through Umbra's fur gently, before humming another self-deprecating chuckle. "Oh… I…" he paused. "Yeah, I should have realized you wouldn't be able to read my chocobo scratch..." He pursed his lips in a mix of amusement and embarrassment.

"Yeah. So, I've pretty much just been calling you Blondie in my head," Noctis confessed with a tiny grin as he extended his own hand to scratch Umbra's back gently. The dog gave a gentle groan of approval, before resting his head against Noctis' thigh and his body across Blondie's legs. It was a little bit funny, and also kind of nice, how comfortable Umbra was around Blondie.

The smirk on Blondie's face grew even wider, and he laughed softly. "I've been calling you Gerard Way, it's okay."

It was the nickname, more than anything else, that managed to pull a peal of genuine laughter from Noctis as he leaned forward in his seat, jarring Umbra from his relaxation and almost falling off the bench himself. "Seriously?" he asked, after breathing in quickly, and then broke down in laughter again.

Blondie, though he was smiling, had an eyebrow quirked in curiosity, and nodded his head a couple of times. "I mean... yeah. What's so funny?"

Noctis tried to calm his laughter, but he couldn't for a couple of seconds. At least not until he noticed a couple people nearby staring at them. His face heated up again, and he covered it with his hand as his laughter dissipated. Umbra still lay on Blondie's lap, looking at him with his head tilted in question, and Noctis slid his hand down his face, before reaching it over to scratch through Umbra's fur.

In a low and secretive tone—one only Blondie could hear—Noctis explained his amusement. "Well... I, um... I've kind of had a massive crush on Gerard Way since I was in middle school. So, you know. You comparing me to him was just kind of like... it was a compliment? But it was a hilarious one." It didn't help get rid of the redness in his cheeks. In fact, it only served to make it even worse. All the same, he darted his eyes up to meet with Blondie's again, shrugged, and said, "my real name's Noctis, though."

"Prompto," he answered in the same quiet tone. "And I was always more of a Brendon Urie guy myself."

The look in Prompto's eyes was soft, like he understood Noctis' trepidation toward being so public about his sexuality. Insomnia was a pretty progressive city, but there were still little pockets of the general public; bigots who would sooner throw people like them into the ocean. Noctis met his eyes and instantly felt a little bit more at ease. He didn't know why he'd been nervous in the _first_ place, but he was glad Prompto was being so cool. 

Noctis nodded his head in agreement. "Him too, actually. I've got a little bit of a weakness for musicians."

The expression on Prompto's face changed then. A tiny little smirk overtook it for a second, before it faded into casual and gentle friendliness. Just like what Noctis had experienced from him so far. It was only then, that Noctis realized exactly what he'd just said. A weakness for musicians. Prompto was a musician... _Six save him_ he was such a class A idiot. Quickly, he turned his head to look away from Prompto. He couldn't stand to see the little smirk on his face. Well, it wasn't that he couldn't stand to _see_ it. It was still attractive. He just couldn't stand the way he could never help but make a complete and total idiot out of himself in front of Prompto.

Just when Noctis was about to try and recover, and tell Prompto he didn't mean it to be as creepy as it probably sounded, Prompto pointed down at Noctis' backpack where it rested on the ground in front of him. "So, what were you coming here for today, anyway? Before I sort of hijacked your attention, anyway."

Noctis blinked a couple of times at first, before glancing down at his backpack, and then back up at Prompto. "Oh. I was gonna fish at the pond. Usually, I'll fish and Umbra will kind of just... lay on the dock and watch the water until I actually catch a fish. And then gods help me if I try to keep him out," he explained with a laugh.

Prompto's eyes wandered over to the pond, and Noctis could see his gaze facing straight at the dock. "I haven't ever actually fished before."

That seemed impossible to Noctis. Noctis' father taught him to fish when he was barely able to walk, so the concept that someone who was at least as old as Noctis was _didn't_ know how to fish was a really weird thing. Something Noctis, without even really thinking about it, wanted to fix. He pointed down at his pack, and then over at the dock.

"If you want to, I can teach you."

Once again, the words escaped without Noctis even really being aware of what he was saying. This time, awareness didn't seep in like it had every other time he'd embarrassed himself around Prompto, though. Whether it was a certain level of comfort developing in Noctis' mind when he thought of Prompto, or how it seemed like things were a little bit different between them now that he knew the other boy's name was a complete and total mystery. Whatever it was, though, it had Noctis less tentative of what was happening and more _eager_ to share a hobby he loved with someone he liked.

Prompto looked a little bit surprised at first, as he ate a couple of his remaining fries, and then glanced back over at the dock from where he'd been staring at Noctis. "I mean... are you sure?" he asked. "Like, it wouldn't cramp your style to train a rookie or something?" That same kind and playful tone took over his voice, but his eyes still flickered eagerly.

In turn, it made Noctis all the more excited to teach. "Dude, no way!" he answered, and he could almost feel his expression brightening as he did. "It'll be fun, I promise!"

As Prompto's smile grew ever-wider, Noctis' enthusiasm seemed to grow with it. Prompto gently urged Umbra down from his lap, before turning his head to Noctis. "Alright, but if I end up falling face first in the river, you owe me. I don't know _what_ you owe me, but when I find out, I'll let you know," he teased.

Cute, talented, and funny. Prompto was pretty dangerous, obviously. Noctis smirked and handed Umbra's leash over to Prompto. "Wanna take him?" His tone was nonchalant, like he didn't even realize exactly how much trust he was putting in someone he still really didn't know. "He's pretty easy to walk, and it seems like he already really likes you enough to listen to you. So, he'll probably just trot along. Oh, unless it'll be too hard with your g-"

"Nah, it's no big deal. Trust me. I've had to balance trash bags full of old fast food leftovers with a mop bucket and the busted head to a Kenny Crow costume, so in comparison, this should be a walk in the park. Literally and figuratively."

Noctis simply blinked in amazement. "I'm not sure which part of that sentence scared me the most..." he deadpanned, as he picked up his backpack.

Without hesitation, Prompto answered, "Kenny head. Hands down. I've worked at the Crow's Nest for about five years now, and I'm still not used to looking at his stupid face every time I walk up to the restaurant," he sneered, his lip curled at the mere thought. "Worst days at work are when I have to wear the costume."

"Wear the costume. Oh _gods_ I'm so sorry," Noctis replied.

Prompto shuddered visibly, and while Noctis wanted to say it was probably a little bit dramatic, he understood. Noctis himself had been a little bit afraid of Kenny Crow ever since he was a kid and what he _thought_ was an animatronic got up and started dancing around him. He'd cried like crazy over it, and his dad had been forced to bring him home without getting their food. Ever, since then, he hadn't been able to look at the stupid bird the same way. Part of him wanted to tell Prompto the story, but the rest of him was still a little bit too embarrassed to tell it to a stranger.

With a little cringe, Prompto confirmed, "the thing's even scarier from the inside than on the outside. I don't understand how some kids can like it."

Noctis took the hint from there, changing the subject back to their trip across the park to the pond. "I can carry your guitar for you if you want. Take a little bit of weight off your shoulders." 

Much to Noctis' surprise, Prompto nodded. "Yeah. Please. I actually forgot I had my bag and this really _would_ be like working at the restaurant. It's either that or give the dog back to you and honestly, I've never been one to give up a dog," he mused.

At first, Noctis just laughed through his nose, thinking back to the conversation they'd had a couple of nights ago in his apartment. 

"Never give up a dog, huh?"

Prompto was quiet for a couple of seconds, then nodded like he didn't catch the joke. A couple more seconds passed, though, and he stopped completely in his tracks and laughed aloud. "Wow. I mean, I guess it depends on whose dog it is," he mused, chuckling a little bit louder when Umbra looked up curiously at the mention of his species. "Are we talking Brendon Urie? Because if we are, then... yeah, there's no chance I'm giving that dog up." Even as he tried to play it nonchalant, though, his cheeks were a little bit pinker. It was hard to tell at first—the sun had kissed his cheeks so they were a light shade of pink already—but Noctis was looking close enough to be able to tell the difference.

Noctis was pretty sure he was blushing, too. "Gerard Way, too. And maybe Justin Timberlake, but… y'know. Just between you and me..." he grinned. "It'd totally ruin my image."

"Oh, so you're one of those emo Edgelord types?" Prompto asked, but unlike when Crowe or Aranea usually teased him and called him Edgelord, Noctis didn't sense any judgment in the words. His smirk was gentle, equal parts teasing and amused by the concept that maybe Noctis _was_ an 'emo Edgelord type.'

So, rather than play it up, Noctis nodded and shrugged his head to the side. "I guess," he admitted. "I listen to a lot of 'edgy' music, but I don't go to a whole lot of concerts and _sometimes_ I wear more than black."

Prompto smirked. "That's true. You were wearing blue at the club the other day," he pointed with the hand holding Umbra's collar.

Again, Noctis laughed. "Yeah, and sometimes I even wear _green_. Crazy, right?" he joked at his own expense.

It was strange to Noctis, talking to someone he barely knew like they had been friends for ages. Something about Prompto, made it easy to talk and joke with him. The types of jokes his friends always would have made. He went in knowing Prompto might have some kind of quip prepared, but it wouldn't have the same level of sass or exasperation behind it. Plus... there was something about Prompto's little smirk and the little twinkle in his eye that made Noctis think maybe he wouldn't have _minded_ if there was a little bit of sassy bite.

The conversation continued comfortably, too, on and on about random everything and nothing, until they got to the pond and the small dock, which led partway out into the water. They discussed a couple of different things—where Noctis got Umbra, if Prompto had any pets (he didn't, but he helped out on a chocobo farm when he could)—and when they finally got to the dock, the topic was on what kind of music Prompto enjoyed.

So far, he'd explained how he enjoyed pretty much everything, but at the moment, he was "really into Panic at the Disco and the 1975," which sometimes bled into his street performances. "Everyone seems to go nuts when I sing This is Gospel," he mused, his expression a little bit bashful, "but they get all excited and expect me to have more Panic songs ready, and now I'm kinda trying to learn them. Lots of them sound way better on piano than on guitar, though."

"Oh, you play piano?" Noctis asked, extending his hand for Umbra's leash.

Prompto nodded excitedly, handing the leash to Noctis and then mimicking the motion of playing the piano in the air. "And sax, and drums a little bit, and I learned clarinet in high school..." he chuckled. "I tried to teach myself to play the harp, just because I think it would be really neat to be able to play the harp, but it's a little bit harder than most of the others. I'm still working on it though," he admitted, ticking his shoulder up in a shrug and leaning up against the railing on the small dock.

Suffice it to say, Noctis was impressed. He smiled gently as he hooked Umbra to one of the rungs of the railing, and watched as the dog sat vigilantly and guarded Noctis and Prompto. "That's pretty amazing, actually. Like, I can barely carry a tune in a bucket, and I know how to play Chopsticks on the piano and maybe the one song you play with your knuckles, but... my dad and I both agreed to put all our energy into my art." He shrugged his shoulders. That wasn't saying he didn't love his art. He did, and he wouldn't have ever really dreamed of doing something else. He'd just always really admired people who could play music.

"I mean, the grass is always greener I guess, because I've always thought art was really cool. Like, I take pictures. I take a _lot_ of pictures. The only reason I don't have my camera with me right now is because it's at the repair shop. It got busted at work when some kid knocked my messenger bag off the hook." Prompto made a face, shaking his head hard like he was trying to dispel a little bit of frustration. "But taking pictures is one thing. Being able to _make_ pictures is another, I've always thought. You can take a blank canvas and make something amazing."

Noctis shrugged. "So can you, though," he pointed out. "A blank piece of photo paper is just as blank as a blank canvas. And a quiet room is just like an empty canvas to a musician, right?" At least, that was how he saw it.

For a couple of silent seconds, Prompto turned the words over in his head and he shrugged a shoulder again. "Doesn't mean I don't think what you do is pretty cool, though."

It was nice, especially from someone who hadn't even seen his work before. That normally would have been enough to make Noctis doubt the sincerity in the words, but there was just... something undeniably sincere in everything Prompto was saying to him. It was enough to make him completely disregard what would normally be suspicion, and smile at Prompto gently.

"Thanks. I think what you do is pretty amazing, too. You're a really good singer," Noctis offered in return.

Prompto half-smiled, then ducked his head for a few seconds, before turning to look back up at Noctis and pointing down at his backpack. "So, are you gonna teach me to fish or what? 'Cause honestly, it looks like there's a metric crapton of fish out there and I've got the... what's it called? Angler's itch?" he asked.

Chuckling, Noctis crouched down and opened his backpack, searching around for his extendable fishing pole and his small tackle box. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that before, but I think we should coin it right now, to be honest." He set the fishing pole down on the dock, then opened the tackle box and pulled out some bait and a couple of lures. One of the lures was a chocobo lure he'd bought a couple of months ago, and the other was one he had used for pretty much every fishing trip since he was thirteen. That one, he put back in the tackle box for now. He didn't want to lose it.

He tied the chocobo lure to the line, before baiting the hook, extending the fishing pole and turning to Prompto. Much to Noctis' surprise, Prompto was staring at him in wide-eyed wonder as he regarded the fishing pole. "That was pretty cool," he offered with a half-smile.

"Here," Noctis answered, offering the fishing pole out to Prompto. "Hold onto this while I get Umbra some water?"

Prompto took it tentatively, holding it by the reel and the handle, though not exactly in the right way. It was enough to make Noctis chuckle a little bit as he pulled out Umbra's travel water bowl and filled it with one of the bottles he'd bought at the store. Most of the time, Umbra liked to drink from the pond, but Noctis knew it disturbed the fish, and he wanted Prompto to have a chance to catch one.

When he turned back to Prompto, he stepped up in front of him, twisting the pole in his hand and then pulling the one on the reel away. "Don't grab that until you cast. You're gonna need range of motion to cast the line properly," he pointed out, before glancing out at the pond. "Okay so, to cast, you want to flick your wrist like this." He lifted one hand raised into the air, mimicking the motion he'd take to cast. "And then, you're gonna want to grab the reel, and move it just slightly so the lure looks like it's sort of dancing across the top of the water. That attracts the fish."

Snorting a little chuckle, Prompto mused, "fish are pretty dumb."

Noctis laughed in return and nodded his head. "Luckily. If they weren't, we wouldn't have sushi." He stepped off to the side, and pointed out into the water. "Alright. Go ahead and cast."

Prompto, likely remembering things from every comedy movie that had ever existed to this point, glanced over his shoulder and bit down on his lower lip when he noticed a woman was walking behind them. Still, he mimicked the motion Noctis had made as best he could, casting the line out about a third of the distance Noctis usually would have made it. His eyes flicked over to Noctis hopefully, though, and Noctis didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't the _best_ cast possible.

Instead, Noctis just nodded an encouraging nod and smiled, making the motion with his opposing hand for Prompto to reel a little bit. Prompto started reeling, a little bit too quickly, and Noctis clamped down on his lower lip, before reaching out and placing his hand on top of Prompto's to stop him. The line stopped moving, and the lure floated on the water, but Noctis barely noticed. All he _did_ notice was the warmth of Prompto's skin beneath his hand and the way, when he flicked his eyes up, Prompto was staring down at their hands where they touched, too.

It shouldn't have been weird, right? Noctis had literally seen him completely naked. Noctis had _fucked_ him. So, why were they both looking at their twined hands like a pair of high schoolers in love? They obviously _weren't_ in love. They were still strangers. Still, it was hard to deny the little twisting feeling in his chest when their hands touched. This time, he didn't even have the atmosphere of the club or the alcohol to blame.

No, all there was, were two hands touching, and two gazes locking.

Noctis quickly cleared his throat and tried to play it off, glancing back down at their hands and giving a nervous smile. "You, um... y-you don't want to reel that fast," he pointed out. "Not until you snag one. You, um... you want to like... move slowly until you feel a snag. Then start slow. When you're sure you've got him, then you go full tilt. Okay?"

"R-right," Prompto answered, letting out a quick breath of what might have been laughter, then slowly starting to reel again.

Until... Noctis watched the line go taut, and the lure start moving in the opposite direction. Prompto tensed, and Noctis made the motion with his hand for him to start reeling fast. "Slow, then fast! It's okay!"

Prompto nodded erratically, and started turning the reel quickly, pulling against the light tugs the fish gave. Umbra was instantly on alert, barking eagerly at the water as he watched the ripples appear on top and watched the lure move quickly toward Prompto. Noctis didn't laugh, at least not right away, but there was no denying he was at least a _little_ bit amused. Prompto was trying to keep up, and Noctis was telling him to turn the rod toward the fish and lean with it. There was wide-eyed terror, or maybe excitement, on Prompto's face, and it was easily the most endearing expression Noctis had ever seen.

Quickly, he shook the expression off as the hook surfaced with... the smallest little fish he had ever seen in his life. It was a guppy or a minnow or something. Very little; hardly noticeable in fact. Noctis would have laughed, if Prompto wasn't looking at it with stars in his eyes, like he was excited beyond all sense of reason that he'd _actually_ caught something.

That made Noctis smile more than it had any right to, and he reached out and took the line right above the fish, bringing it over to Prompto. "Nice. Caught something your first try!" He wouldn't even tease about the size of the fish, honestly.

Prompto beamed with his whole face as Noctis held the line out to him. "I didn't think I'd actually get anything!" he proclaimed, looking at the tiny fish and blinking in stunned amusement.

"Want a picture real quick?" he asked, reaching for his phone with his other hand. "Before we toss it back?"

With a vehement nod, Prompto held the wiggling fish up in the air, and then smiled a smile that spread across his whole face. The same smile Noctis had noticed the first night they'd met. The one with the power to move mountains and shake Eos to its very core. Noctis simply swallowed thickly, before raising his camera and snapping a quick picture of Prompto with his catch. Then, he watched as Prompto reached out to touch the fish, curling his lip at the feeling of the small and slimy creature under his fingers.

Noctis smirked. "I'll take care of it. Here. You can look at the picture if you want." He handed his phone over to Prompto.

As Noctis took the fish from the hook and released it back into the water, Prompto chuckled softly. "Little fish, isn't it?" he asked. "Here. I'm gonna put my number in your phone, to send this to myself, okay? You can... you can delete it later. If you want."

"N-no. It's okay," Noctis answered. "You can have mine, too. If you want."

Prompto hummed an affirmative answer, and when Noctis turned around he noticed Prompto looking at him with a soft expression on his face. He reached into his messenger bag, pulled his phone out, hit a couple of buttons, and handed it to Noctis. "Maybe now that we have each other's numbers, we can... you know. Hang out sometime. Somewhere that's not at Envy, or at the park. A movie, or shopping, or something. If you want."

All Noctis could do in reply was grin and nod dumbly, as he typed his name and phone number into Prompto's phone. Hanging out somewhere other than a club or the park sounded really good. Ignis had mentioned a new friend earlier, and while Noctis was pretty sure this wasn't exactly what he had in mind, he couldn't help but realize that Ignis was right, as usual. Making a new friend was pretty okay, actually. Prompto was a good person. Noctis may not have known him well, but he could tell that much, at least. No one who wasn't nice would have Umbra so fully wrapped around their finger.

At least, he hoped he was right this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise we'll get to the roommate part eventually! Gotta build up to it a little! ♥


	5. Anyone Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _oh, my blood, once was my own_  
>  _but in one touch you made it yours._  
>  _what have you done?_  
> [anyone else](https://open.spotify.com/track/3Yc3DI66pY5AVHmfgYQtZh?si=tT_i88XJQ2e9E7OYml1uJw) ;; pvris  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4wo8VRCtSU) ]

Over the next few weeks, Noctis had absolutely no luck with the roommate situation. Most of the people who'd found his flyers just weren't compatible with him for one reason or another. A few of them were partiers, who talked about throwing a ton of wild parties at the apartment. Noctis wasn't _against_ parties, but he was more of the 'casual party with close friends' type. The ones who weren't partiers were the type who didn't care for dogs. One of _those_ people kept glaring at Umbra like she wanted him to disappear.

Aside from the dog haters, though, the worst one of all was the woman who—from the very first second she spotted Noctis to the second he asked her to leave—wouldn't stop insisting she was the woman of his dreams; that not only would she be his roommate but they'd end up married. No matter how many times Noctis insisted she stop, she wouldn't. He'd had to cut the interview early and call Ignis and Ravus to help get her out.

With all of the luck he was having, it was nearing the point where he'd actually _have_ to ask his dad for some help to make rent next month.

The one comfort Noctis had through this stretch was the fact that he'd been texting back and forth with Prompto pretty much every single day. He'd told Prompto about every single one of the disastrous roommate interviews, and they'd made a couple (admittedly kind of mean) jokes at their expense. Aside from that, they'd send pictures of stupid things, funny memes, even jokes and puns about whatever else came to their minds. That day, Prompto had sent him half a dozen pictures of different dogs and stray cats he'd seen around town, and in return, Noctis had sent him a picture of a framed photo Noctis' dad had taken of the outside of the chocobo ranch.

Noctis could practically hear the responding text of _CHOCOBOS!!!_ in Prompto's voice through the phone. It was enough to make him laugh as he took his evening medication, which honestly wasn't something he usually felt like smiling through.

A few seconds passed after that, and then Prompto started typing a text message again. The text stopped, and then started up again. A few seconds later, it stopped again, and then started back up. Once more, it stopped—this time for a solid couple minutes—and Noctis figured Prompto was just busy or something. So, he decided to busy himself, too. He headed over to his desk to try and get some work done on his architectural art project. He was supposed to design some kind of stylish building in Altissian style. It was a pretty simple project; since Noctis actually _liked_ drawing Altissian architecture, he was actually looking forward to it.

The exact second his pencil touched the paper, his phone went off with the text tone he'd assigned to Prompto—a victory fanfare from the Decided Delusion RPG series they both said they loved so much—and he found himself scrambling for his phone quicker than he ever remembered doing before.

Of all the things he expected Prompto to text to him—another meme, a joke, maybe another picture of a dog or something—the actual text he got was definitely not one of them. Noctis gaped at the screen for at least thirty seconds, as he could clearly see the words, _so hey, this might be a stupid question, but do you wanna go to a movie and then to go get a burger or something with me tonight? Not the Crow's Nest, I promise_ on his screen. Dinner and a movie. Prompto had legitimately invited him out for dinner and a movie. It was obviously just a friendly invitation, just two friends, getting together to go out to dinner and see a movie. That was all.

_Yeah, okay! Maybe we can go see Lethal Force 9: Beginning of the Endgame! It just came out last week and I keep seeing ads for it on Hulu and YouTube and stuff. It looks really, really good. Lots of explosions and stuff._

After he sent the message, he considered sending a second, asking Prompto if he was at work. For now, he decided against it, instead opting to get up and get dressed. Initially, he hadn't been planning on going anywhere, just sitting at home and binge-watching some Netflix or something after he finished his project. This was a way better way to spend a Friday evening, he figured. The only problem was the fact that, while getting dressed would probably be less comfortable, he _definitely_ couldn't meet up with Prompto in his pajamas with uncombed hair. Sure, Prompto had seen him with less... but he wanted to dress a _little_ bit nicer.

Plus, he needed to shower. Abandoning his work desk, for now, he got up quickly and headed toward the bathroom. Setting his phone on the sink, he stepped into the shower. It was a little bit weird, a little bit unexpected, how the mere thought of seeing his friend again had him moving faster than he normally would have. He liked being around Prompto, though. Most TV shows and movies and stuff depicted the aftermath of one night stands as awkward and uncomfortable, but Noctis didn't really feel that. There were a couple times when Noctis felt a little bit nervous around Prompto... when their hands brushed each other at the park was a good example. Aside from that, it didn't _seem_ like there was any awkwardness.

Maybe that was because most of their conversations since had taken place via text, though. What if things were awkward now? It was a stupid thing to worry about, honestly, because if things _were_ weird, Noctis had no one to blame but himself. All the same, this friendship was pretty awesome. It had Noctis feeling better than he could have ever expected to be about his break up with Loqi, which was weird, because it was just a friendship. There was no reason for this level of comfort and trust with a complete stranger.

Were they strangers anymore, though? They'd gotten to know each other over text, even if that one time at the park was the last time they'd actually seen one another. Prompto was busy with work, and Noctis understood. That tiny little piece of his mind, worried maybe he _was_ putting too much trust in Prompto. Maybe he was _forcing_ the friendship.

 _Don't be stupid,_ he chastised himself. _If you were forcing the friendship, would Prompto have invited you to the movies tonight?_

The sound of the victory fanfare going off outside his shower once, twice, three times in rapid succession snapped him out of his nervous thought process, and he gave a relieved sigh as he lathered shampoo into his hair. He needed to _not_ psych himself out, and to do that, he needed to _stop_ thinking about Loqi.

Noctis nodded to himself, leaning his head back and rinsing his hair, trying to wash away any and all thoughts of his ex along with the shampoo. There was no reason to think of Loqi anymore. There was no reason to sabotage his potential friendship with Prompto, just because of his worry that things would turn out like they had _with_ Loqi either. Tension washed away, as a _fourth_ victory fanfare ringtone went off from outside of the shower and rang out through the bathroom. At the very least, Prompto seemed just as excited about this as Noctis was.

In the back of his mind, Noctis wondered if he was as anxious about it, too.

Probably not, though. Prompto always seemed so confident. Even on the dance floor that first night, he'd seemed so cool that Noctis couldn't get the image of it out of his mind. The way his whole body moved perfectly before he'd danced with Noctis. The way his body had swayed perfectly for the brief few moments he _had_ danced with Noctis. Also, Noctis quickly realized he needed to get his mind away from that thought process before he showed up to meet with Prompto just as wound up as he'd been that night in his apartment.

Fortunately, he'd realized it when he had, just before it was too late. It took some creative thinking to will any threat of interest away, but he managed somehow.

There was no logical reason for him to be so nervous about a friendly dinner and a movie. After washing off quickly, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, quickly drying his hands and grabbing his phone. Just like the ringtones had suggested, Prompto had texted him four times. Once with, _yeah! I love the Lethal Force series!_ about the movie. The second one read, _I've wanted to see that one anyway. The lead actor is almost Brendon Urie hot. ALMOST. Not quite._ That made Noctis chuckle a little bit to himself, as he moved on to the next message. _I'm working until like, 6. Let me check the showtimes, and I'll tell you when we can meet._ And then, a couple of minutes later, he added, _looks like it's showing at 7:30. Gives me just enough time to head home and shower off, and then we can meet at the Megaplex on Octavius Avenue? Is that cool? It's a little far from your place but it's closer to mine and I have to cross town to get home._

Octavius Avenue was a little bit of a hike, but that was fine. Noctis had a car. He could just drive them to dinner after the movie.

Typing a quick _Definitely! See you there,_ to Prompto, he hurried to his closet to try to find something to wear. Initially, he'd been planning to dress nice, in maybe a button down and a pair of his nicer jeans. The more he thought about it, though, the more he worried about giving Prompto the wrong idea; making Prompto think he saw this as a date. Instead, he gathered up some more casual clothes and got dressed quickly, before heading back to the bathroom to style his hair.

A part of him wanted to just neglect the hair styling. He'd seen Prompto without product in his hair, it was only fair for Prompto to see him the same way, right? The only downside, though, was the fact that Noctis without product looked like a mess. His bangs _all_ fell into his eyes, rather than just the carefully selected pieces he _let_ rest there when he styled it. Noctis looked at himself in the mirror and brushed a hand through his hair. If he was trying to be casual, trying to prove to Prompto exactly how casual he _was_ about all of this, then being casual with his hair was one way to do it. Right?

So, he closed the medicine cabinet, leaving his hair gel untouched.

All he needed was to fill Umbra's food and water dish, take him for a walk to the tree he preferred, and then come back up, get his keys, and go. Noctis was known for running a little bit late, but he was _determined_ not to be this time. Stepping out of the bathroom and blowing some hair from his eyes—already, he was considering going back in and fixing his hair—he chuckled at his unfinished, un _started_ , project where it sat on his work desk. He wasn't behind, and he had a couple of weeks to finish it, so it wasn't a huge deal if he took a night off. Especially not when it was worth it.

Umbra seemed eager to go outside, and he was actually pretty quick about doing his business this time. Sometimes, a part of Noctis wondered if he had some kind of understanding of human interactions around him. It seemed like he was fully aware Noctis was actually going somewhere tonight. Impossible, but sometimes it really did seem that way.

Back up the elevator they went, and Noctis filled Umbra's food and water dishes, glanced at the papers in the kennel to make sure they were clean, gathered his wallet and keys, then left. With a half hour to spare, there was no way he'd be late.

Truthfully, Noctis had never been a very big fan of the parking garage across the street from his apartment. It wasn't a crime magnet or anything, but there was something unsettling about walking through a building where each and every step he took echoed. Noctis had never really been a fan of excessive echoes. Even from the bottom floor, where his car always stayed parked, he could hear the echoing beep of someone unlocking their car from at least a floor above him. It was nerve-wracking, and had him picking his step up until he got to his car. Rather than using the button to unlock it, and alerting people to his presence with a loud noise, he actually put the key into the lock and then slid into the driver's seat.

Then, he was off.

As he crossed town, heading toward Octavius Avenue, Noctis noticed the large high rises started fading into smaller buildings. They weren't falling apart, but this was definitely a different side of town. A little bit noisier. There were more people hanging around outside of their apartments, more houses than apartment buildings. Some of them were obviously duplexes, but they were in decent shape. Not super small, but not massive either. Noctis had driven through this side of town dozens of times, but he'd never actually paid attention.

Why now was different, he wasn't sure, but he found himself watching the houses and small apartment buildings that he passed. Maybe he was looking for some sign of Prompto. He didn't find it, though, and before he knew it, he found himself rounding the corner to Octavius Avenue. Instantly, he spotted the giant sign for the Megaplex, and even from this far away, he could see the board displaying the Lethal Force movie. Actually, some of the letters had fallen off, so it looked like it just said Le-hal -orce. It made Noctis chuckle as he stopped in the parking lot and got out of his car, locking it behind him.

This movie theater—while it still looked completely functional—was a lot different from the one closer to his apartment. Some of the posters on the walls had graffiti on them, most of it on rom-com and kids movie posters. Like there were gangs or something that spent their time around here after hours, and found those movies offensive somehow. Noctis found himself quickly double checking to see if his car was locked, then stepping away to go and wait for Prompto in front of the theater.

Noctis walked up, leaning back against the wall between a pair of graffiti-laden posters, sliding his phone from his pocket to check for any messages from Prompto. There was only one. _On my way. I'm walking, but it's not far, so I should be there in about ten!_ he declared, about five minutes ago.

That left Noctis with nothing to do but people watch. There were several groups of teenagers and a couple of groups of adults hanging around, but most of the people waiting outside of the theater were couples. A pair of women kissed on the far side of the theater from Noctis, and there was a heterosexual couple a few feet away from where he stood, shamelessly making out like they totally had plans to have some fun inside the theater when their movie started. Noctis couldn't help but smirk a little bit to himself. It was totally something he and Loqi would have done when they were together.

No. No, he didn't want to think of Loqi tonight. Tonight, he was spending time with a cool guy, a cool new friend, and he wasn't going to think about Loqi at all.

Quickly, he distracted himself by scrolling through his phone to see if he could order a pair of tickets online. He found the web page quickly, and without a second thought, ordered a pair of tickets for himself and Prompto. With that done, he had nothing to do but wait. Wait and listen to the shameless moans of the couple to his right. He turned his head and tried to block them from his view, but that did little to no good when he heard the sloppy noises that often went along with kissing. That, plus the thought of Loqi creeping up again, made it less charming.

It was fortunate Prompto didn't keep him waiting much longer. He was about to move down the wall a little bit, to get himself the _hell_ away from them, when he heard that familiar voice coming from a few feet across the parking lot.

"Noctis! You haven't been waiting long, have you?"

"Nah," Noctis answered quickly with a smile. "About five minutes. Gave me enough time to order us a pair of tickets, though."

Prompto blinked a couple of times, adjusting the shoulder on his tank top and pointing at the door. "You paid already? Aw, I got some good tips last weekend and was gonna treat you," he pouted. "Whatever, that's fine. Just means I get snacks."

Nodding his agreement, Noctis pointed at the door. "And we split dinner. We can go to that retro style diner with the jukebox and the waiters and waitresses in greaser style and poodle skirts. It's tacky as hell, but the food's good," he countered with a gentle smile as he pushed himself up from the wall and took a couple of steps toward the door.

Before Noctis could get too far away, he noticed that Prompto wasn't following immediately. Instead, he was watching the pair making out up against the wall with an eyebrow arched in intrigue. "Jeez," he snorted. "Have a little shame, guys."

The couple stopped, and the man looked at Prompto in annoyance for a couple of seconds before perking up and waving eagerly at him. "Oh, _hey_ Argentum! Yeah, sorry. Shame's not gonna happen. Better grab your boyfriend and get in there. And hope you're not seeing Love Favors Not the Wary, because it's not gonna be quiet in there."

"Okay, one? We're friends. Two: I'm extra glad we're not seeing that movie now." Prompto rolled his eyes affectionately at the man, before turning back to Noctis and nodding his head toward the door. "Let's get in there, yeah? Pretty sure Dino and Coctura aren't gonna last that long before they go full-on PDA."

" _That_ wasn't full PDA?" Noctis asked incredulously.

With a huff of laughter, Prompto shook his head no. "Not even close, dude. I'm talkin' like... dry humping in public. Maybe more, for that matter," he rolled his eyes dramatically.

Noctis' mind was still catching up to the whole situation, honestly. The man who'd made him uncomfortable for the whole of the time he'd spent waiting for Prompto was Prompto's friend. Not only that, but he seemed to think they were dating, even after Prompto said they weren't. Especially if the way he was looking at Noctis as they walked away was any indication. Dino winked at him, before turning back to his annoyingly loud girlfriend and resuming their shameless make-out session. Noctis didn't _hate_ romantic comedies by any stretch of the imagination, but suddenly he found himself really glad they weren't going to see that movie.

They moved past a couple more graffiti-covered movie posters, and Noctis couldn't help but glance over his shoulder one more time at those two. That was when it hit him. Prompto had mentioned someone named Dino before, too. "Wait. Dino? Your friend Dino who brought you to the club?"

Prompto nodded. "Yeah! That's right, I told you about him!" he remembered with a smile. "He actually met her at the club. They've pretty much been glued to each other ever since. She goes to the jewelry shop to wait for him every day, except when he goes to her restaurant and waits for her. Pretty romantic," he mused softly.

"Meeting your soulmate at a club. Now _that_ sounds like something that'd make a good rom-com, doesn't it?" Noctis mused, keeping his eyes on his shoes.

With a soft laugh, Prompto hummed an answer. "Totally. The plucky protagonist meets a dashing stranger at a club, they dance the night away, and one sweeps the other one off their feet." He sighed dreamily.

Noctis just laughed a little bit and nodded his head. "I'm not really a dancer or a club kind of person. Sure, it was nice. And I definitely had a good time," he added with a coy glance Prompto's way. "I just... wouldn't have gone probably if my friends hadn't dragged me. Maybe I'll go more often if there's a chance to meet your soulmate, there."

Prompto was quiet for a few seconds, and Noctis worried that maybe he'd said something wrong. Raising his eyes from the ground, he cast Prompto a sidelong glance. This time, it was _Prompto_ who was looking down at his shoes, and there was a weird look in his eye. Something that Noctis couldn't quite place. It wasn't _happy_ , though. He knew that much for sure.

Just as quickly as the sadness showed up, though, Prompto pushed it away, looking back up from the ground. "I think I probably go a little bit more often than you, but it's not really my scene, either," he explained as he pushed the door to the theater open. "I'm not super into crowds. I can _do_ them if I take my mind out of the situation and everything, but I get really anxious about it if I don't t-uh. If I don't prepare properly."

"You seemed okay in front of crowds when you were playing at the park." More than okay, actually. He'd looked comfortable.

For a few seconds, Prompto looked a little bit nervous. Worried about something, maybe. They were at the back of the line, and he was looking at the people in front of them—and the people who had just shown up behind them, too—like he was a little bit uncomfortable responding here. So, he turned back to Noctis, nodded a couple of times, chuckled, and said, "I prepared properly."

While Noctis couldn't be sure, he got the sneaking suspicion that Prompto was only being quite so evasive because there were so many people around them. As much as he wanted to ask, he was fully aware that Prompto was entitled to his secrets. Heaven knew Noctis had some of his own, too. Things he _might_ be comfortable saying if it was just the two of them, but with all of the others around? Well, he understood Prompto's hesitation. So, he took the answer for what it was and stepped forward with the line. If it was something that Prompto was comfortable letting him know, he'd have more chances.

Conversation picked up a little bit as the line continued to advance. They talked about their favorite movies in the Lethal Force series—both of them agreed that Lethal Force 6: At Bahamut's Door was the best of the bunch, both because the action was the absolute best and because they still listened to the soundtrack even five years later—and how neither of them were actually _against_ romantic comedies like Love Favors Not the Wary, but they were both glad that they weren't seeing it on this particular movie trip. On the tip of Noctis' tongue was an invitation to come back out another day and see it, but he decided not to ask for now. It'd probably be too weird.

Fortunately, Prompto didn't let him dwell in his own head, insisting he order whatever he wanted to for snacks. The pair of them agreed to split a large popcorn and each got their own soda, Noctis got a large bag of gummy coeurls and Prompto got a box of caramel filled chocolates shaped like chocobos. Then, it was time to head to the theater.

There were a few people walking into theater five, mostly their age, and in groups of their friends, but honestly, none of them really registered on Noctis' radar. The only person he really cared about was walking next to him, talking a mile a minute about how much he liked those caramel chocolate chocobo candies. To be totally honest, Noctis had lost track of what he was saying a little while ago, but Prompto's enthusiasm was so nice, so contagious, that Noctis couldn't be bothered to care. Prompto's smile lit the whole theater up, and Noctis couldn't help but follow suit.

As they made their way into the theater, Noctis looked around at the rows of seats. It was unexpectedly quiet. There was a group sitting dead center already, and another on the far left side, lounged with their feet on the seats in front of them. A glance over his shoulder told Noctis there was no one coming in behind them, either. Each time Noctis came to one of these movies, it seemed like fewer and fewer people were there with him. When he'd come to the last one with Gladio and Iris, there had been even fewer people in the theater with them. 

Noctis didn't get it. The movies were still great. The action was still exciting and the plots were still clever. At least Noctis thought so, and Prompto seemed to, too. So, why were so few people there that night? In the end, it was probably a good thing. They could talk quietly to each other and if they laughed too loud—or something emotional happened and they reacted to it—there was no shame in it.

"I don't think anyone else is coming," he whispered to Prompto.

Prompto glanced around the theater, and as Noctis slid into his seat, he saw a tiny little pout cross his friends' face. "I don't get it. Like, every magazine I see says that Lethal Force is dead, but it's still so good," he mumbled, setting the popcorn between them and opened his box of chocolate chocobos. "Want a couple?"

With the way Prompto had raved about them, Noctis somehow thought it would be rude to say no, so he opened his bag in response, offering some gummies out to Prompto. "Trade," he suggested.

After trading candy and smiles with one another, they relaxed to watch the movie together. The movie was good. Of _course_ it was. Lethal Force was always good, and the ninth installment was no exception. Noctis noticed, however, that at certain points over the course of the movie, he couldn't keep himself from glancing in Prompto's direction. It was mostly during what were probably pivotal scenes; scenes he probably should have been paying attention to, but somehow, looking at Prompto's face seemed more appealing to him than seeing the Altissian National Bank burst into flame and take the cybercriminals' equipment along with it.

The way the fire lit Prompto's eyes, the way he cheered when Invictus, the protagonist, won the long-fought fistfight against the leader of the cyber-terrorist gang... it was incredible. It was _stupid_ though. It made no sense. The way he was looking at Prompto and the way he was _feeling_ about Prompto right then... it felt similar to what he'd felt about Loqi in the beginning. That scared the hell out of him.

Each time he noticed himself staring at his friend, he quickly turned his attention back to the movie screen and gave himself a mental slap. No more of that. No more thinking of how amazing Prompto looked when he smiled, or how his excitement was as contagious as laughter.

Unfortunately, that resolve didn't last long.

After sharing a cheer with the group several rows ahead of them, Noctis laughed and reached for a handful of popcorn. When he did, he expected _popcorn_. What he _didn't_ expect, though, was to feel his fingertips brushing against Prompto's skin. Familiar skin. Skin attached to hands that he recognized from how they'd felt as they brushed along his chest and into his hair a few weeks ago. It was funny how a simple touch could bring a person back to something from so long ago. 

Now, though, it felt so fresh in his memory he could swear it had just happened before they came here. He laughed an awkward note and tugged his hand back, glancing back over to Prompto and meeting those bright blue eyes again. "S-sorry," he mumbled.

"No," Prompto answered, his own voice a little nervous as he pulled his hand back with a couple of pieces of popcorn. "No, it's okay. I don't... I don't mind! No big deal."

If it was no big deal, then why did Noctis suddenly feel the urge to sink down from his seat and to the sticky movie theater floor? "You go ahead," he insisted. "You couldn't have just wanted two pieces of popcorn, right?" He gestured to the bucket, that was almost completely gone at this point.

Prompto shrugged, a tiny, nervous laugh escaping his lips. "I mean, I was saving the last bit for you. There's like, half a handful left, so..."

With a little chuckle, Noctis reached down into the bucket and picked up the last couple of pieces, quickly busying himself with eating them, rather than allowing himself to feel awkward about how much of an idiot he was apparently becoming around Prompto. They shared a smile again, though Noctis' was probably a little bit more awkward, and a _lot_ more nervous, this time.

As much as Noctis was trying not to make things weird and bring Prompto's attention back to exactly how amazing they'd been together, an equal part of him wanted to reach over into the next seat and just... see how crazy he could drive Prompto, right in the back row of this movie theater. It was tempting. It was _really_ tempting. The sound of the obligatory Lethal Force love scene in the background wasn't doing that urge any favors, either. Noctis could practically see it playing out in his mind. He'd reach across the seat, subtly run his hand over the button-fly of Prompto's jeans, feeling the outline of his length and suddenly—hopefully—sparking it into interest.

Prompto would look at him, curiosity sparkling in his eyes and making them shine brighter than _any_ fire that Lethal Force could throw at them. Noctis' answer would be to undo Prompto's pants and slide his hand in, and Prompto would instantly arch his hips upward into the touch, letting out one of those pleased sighs he'd let out three weeks ago. Sighs that would only grow in intensity while Noctis jerked him off.

Unfortunately, Noctis was completely unaware he'd been staring at Prompto this whole time.

This time, he wasn't so lucky. This time, Prompto caught him staring. He didn't ask Noctis what he was staring at; he didn't sound mad, or annoyed, or anything like that. All he did was tilt his head, and maybe it was wishful thinking, but Noctis could _swear_ that Prompto was smiling at him.

"What's up?" Prompto asked.

Noctis shook his head hard, laughing a soft and awkward note and clamping down hard on his lip. "N-nothing! I was, um... I was just noticing that... y-you look good tonight! That's all!"

It wasn't a lie. It wasn't even _close_ to a lie, actually. Prompto looked amazing. Prompto _always_ looked amazing. So, it wasn't even like anyone could accuse him of not being honest. He turned his head to look back at the movie screen, but truth be told, at this point, he'd been paying attention to Prompto for so long that he'd almost lost the plot.

Prompto murmured a quiet, "thanks. I didn't do anything special or anything. Didn't have time. Just showered and combed my hair. But, I, uh... I'm glad you think so."

Though Noctis wasn't looking anymore, he could almost _feel_ Prompto looking at him instead. Red heated his cheeks up, and he was suddenly glad they were in a dark theater. No way Prompto could see the flush on his cheeks, no way he could embarrass himself, no way Prompto could possibly have known what Noctis was fantasizing about. It was still tough to keep himself from blushing, though, so he didn't dare meet his friend's gaze.

For Bahamut's sake, he was an idiot. Whatever was going on in his stupid head, he needed to get it out of his system before he screwed this friendship up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's _totally_ not a date, guys. ;)
> 
> I promise, we'll get to the roommate bits soon! Gotta do a little buildup!


	6. The Last of the Real Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
> _you are the sun and i am just the planets, spinning around you._  
>  _you were too good to be true; gold plated, but what's inside you?_  
>  _i know this whole damn city thinks it needs you, but not as much as i do..._  
> [the last of the real ones](https://open.spotify.com/track/6HWGLValLZlHVPjbwEW4Kq?si=zAk4FLyFR2-ek9w6B34ifA) ;; fall out boy  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9xJ3y7SM7Q%22%22) ]

For the whole drive to the retro diner, Prompto gushed about every single thing he'd loved about the movie. There was a stretch between Septum Road and Tertium Street where Noctis wasn't sure if Prompto had even _breathed_ while he talked. It was adorable. His enthusiasm radiated out from him and flowed into Noctis, and Noctis spent the whole of Prompto's eager and excitable speech, simply smiling. Music played on the radio, though it was light and in the background. Noctis wanted to be sure he could hear every word of Prompto's excited description.

"Oh man! And the part when he somersault flipped off the back of the double-decker bus and landed on top of the empty motorcycle, then bailed off the motorcycle and it _exploded_? That was so amazing!" Prompto recounted, almost bouncing in his seat as he finished the last of his drink and slid the empty cup into the cup holder.

Noctis didn't even care what the context of the conversation was. Prompto was excited and that was really all that mattered. He could have been talking about cleaning or reading a boring science book, and Noctis wouldn't have cared in the slightest. It was putting a gorgeous smile on Prompto's face, and it could _still_ shake Eos to its core. He nodded along, though he didn't even really remember anything about what Prompto was describing—he assumed it was from when he'd been staring at Prompto and having that dumb, embarrassing fantasy.

Hanging his elbow out the window, Noctis simply responded with, "this was, hands down, the best Lethal Force movie I've seen."

Though it was kind of weird to say, mostly because he had only paid half-attention. It was weird of him to say as much about a Lethal Force movie. That probably said something about his attachment to Prompto… though he opted to ignore that something for now. The way they'd been able to laugh or cheer as loud as they wanted without bothering anyone else? That was amazing, too. The fact he was with Prompto, though, was the most amazing part of all. Clamping down on his lower lip, he stopped himself from walking down that dangerous path any further.

Prompto nodded eagerly, though, and Noctis’ resolve cracked once again. "I'm stoked about this diner, too! I'm super disenchanted with diners in general because of the Crow's Nest, so I really can't wait to eat somewhere else. Maybe it can save the whole diner scene for me," he mused, then started idly singing along with the music on Noctis' radio.

"It will," Noctis answered, his voice assured as he turned the volume up just slightly.

He wasn’t trying to stop the conversation. What he _hoped_ for, was a slight chance that maybe Prompto would start singing along with whatever song came on next. Sure enough, the song changed to something by Panic at the Disco—Noctis figured it must have been new, because he actually didn't know the words—but Prompto instantly started singing along, not missing a beat, a note, or a word. Just like Noctis had hoped for. It brought a wry grin to his face as he tapped his finger against the steering wheel.

Prompto turned toward him, still singing softly, and arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"What-what?" Noctis asked in return.

Laughing nervously, Prompto smoothed a hand through his hair and pushed some blond bangs from his eyes. "I'm just... why were you smirking like that? I mean... I don't mind, obviously. I like it when you smile and stuff," he admitted in a mumble. "I'm just wondering... you know. Why? It's like... all we're doing is sitting in your car, driving down roads we've both probably been down a hundred times, and listening to music." He paused, and Noctis could see the little smile crossing _Prompto's_ face in his periphery.

It made Noctis' grin grow all the wider. "Now who's smiling?" he asked, turning his head while they were stopped at a stop light.

Again, Prompto laughed. "I guess... as I was saying it, I realized exactly why you were smiling," he mused, relaxing in his seat and drumming on his thigh with two fingers. "'Cause it's nice. Like, really nice. Fun. I don't..." He paused and laughed a nervous note. "Gods, this is gonna make me sound like some kind of loser recluse, but I swear I'm not. I don't, you know, hang out with people like this a lot. I have friends and we obviously do stuff. You know. Get together, have parties, barbecues, stuff like that. But there's something really nice... _really_ nice... about stuff like this, too."

Noctis nodded. "Just sitting in a car with someone, with nothing going on, listening to music and talking about a movie you've just seen," he agreed.

"Yeah!" Prompto agreed eagerly. "Like. It's kinda weird, y'know? Because we're pretty new friends and everything, but when that happened, just now? Me singing along with the radio and you smiling that smile you had on? It kinda felt like... I don't know. Like we've known each other for forever or something. Stop me if I sound stupid."

That was the thing. He _didn't_ sound stupid. Not even a little bit. Everything he was saying made perfect sense, and was exactly what Noctis was thinking and feeling; what he couldn't exactly put his finger on. Just like Prompto said, this was another way it felt like they'd known each other for years, Even though all they really knew about each other were the basics. They knew major interests, and Noctis knew Prompto had a female roommate who was dating some big, burly, jock guy with tattoos that reminded Noctis of Gladio. They knew how good one another was in bed, too, obviously. Other than that, though? 

In the end, he didn't really feel like it mattered. They were comfortable around each other, and Prompto had very quickly become one of Noctis' closest friends; someone he could easily talk to. That was more important than knowing every little secret about someone. Those little details would come with time.

So, Noctis shook his head no as he hit the gas pedal again and turned them onto the road the diner was on. "I don't think you sound stupid. I agree, actually. I'm... I'm comfortable around you. I have a tough time getting comfortable around people, sometimes."

"Me too," Prompto admitted.

Noctis had a hard time believing that. Prompto was one of the most outgoing and fun people Noctis had ever met in his life. How could someone like him _ever_ feel uncomfortable around people?

"Not around you, though," Noctis admitted as he pulled into the parking lot, then cut the engine, cutting the song short. "I mean, there have been a couple times when I feel like I'm constantly making an idiot out of myself with you and everything, if only because... I don't know why." A lie. He knew why, and the incident in the movie theater was a prime example of it. "But even with that, I... feel comfortable with you. I feel like I could tell you pretty much anything and you wouldn't think I was an idiot for it."

Prompto chuckled awkwardly in the new silence that cloaked the car. "You probably could," he admitted.

With a little grin, Noctis shrugged his head to the side. "Same goes for you, by the way. You could tell me pretty much anything, and I wouldn't think you were an idiot, either. You're one of the genuinely coolest people I've met." Heat crept up to his cheeks again, and suddenly he wanted to get out of the car all the quicker. The sun had gone down, so the darkness would provide him with a little more cover than the overhead light.

Before he opened the door, Prompto's voice came clearly from the passenger's side. "You're not so bad yourself," he spoke gently.

Noctis closed the car door with his hip, willing the redness to fade from his cheeks by the time Prompto got to his side again. He was pretty sure he failed, but Prompto didn't say anything. Noctis stuffed his keys into his pocket and led the way into the restaurant, smirking a little bit as the host sat them in the far back corner. It was pretty busy tonight; Noctis figured they were lucky to be able to get a table to begin with.

The exact second they arrived at their corner booth, Prompto—with speed that matched his name—sat down on the side of the booth, facing the rest of the restaurant. Before anyone could comment, he gave the waitress his drink order and then accepted the menu when she offered them each one. After she dismissed herself and headed to fill their drink orders, Prompto immediately busied himself with flipping through the menu pages and humming along with the old-timey music that echoed through the speakers.

"This place is adorable," Prompto murmured. "I've always thought about coming here, but never had."

With a nod, Noctis glanced up from his own menu to meet Prompto's gaze. "I came here with my dad a lot when I was little," he explained. "I used to give him so much crap about actually being alive when the music they play was new, but he must not have minded too much 'cause he always brought me back. He's not that old though. I just like to mess with him." He chuckled softly, glancing at a couple of the new menu additions since the last time he'd been here.

Prompto smirked at him over the top of his menu, and then glanced back down. "You and your dad are pretty close, huh?" he asked.

Sometimes, it didn't feel like close was a good enough word. Yeah, Gladio and Ignis were his best friends—a title which Prompto was slowly inching his way toward, too—but his dad had been there for him through so much that not including _him_ in the best friend category seemed unfair. So, Noctis just chuckled and nodded his head, before folding his menu closed and setting it down on the table.

"I'm lucky to have a dad like mine. Yeah, it's a little bit annoying that he's kinda a troll. He tries to send me memes and acts like he's all on the up and up with modern music and TV and stuff, but he really just sounds like that old dude who's trying too hard. You should've seen him spam the everloving hell out of Nyan Cat when it was still relevant. He made an emoji of it last year, and I wasn't sure I had the heart to tell him it was a dead meme. I had to though. Especially when he tried to get me a shirt of it _this_ year. I have the shirt, and I've worn it, but... just because I love my dad."

Prompto laughed, then paused to glance up at the waitress when she got back with their drinks. The pair of them ordered—Prompto a battered chickatrice caesar salad and an order of onion rings, and Noctis a mushroom and swiss garula burger with no veggies, and fries—and then the waitress retreated, leaving them to their own devices again.

The second the waitress was gone, Prompto cast his eyes around the room, looking at all the other tables, before settling back on Noctis again. "What about your mom?" he asked. "You talk about your dad a lot, but I don't think I've ever heard you mention your mom."

Of course, Noctis knew it was only a matter of time before the topic of his mom came up. It wasn't like he shied away from mentioning her, or he was scared of talking about her. Her death was a big part of his problems. A part of why he was medicated, and a part of the reason why he'd been diagnosed with depression at such a young age. Ultimately, he knew opening that door could potentially lead Prompto to learn about them. A part of him wanted to keep it a secret from Prompto for as long as he could. The rest of him knew, if he wanted this friendship to be a good one, a long one, he couldn't really expect things like clinical depression to fly under the radar forever.

So, after taking a sip of his soda, Noctis clamped down on his lower lip and shrugged, not meeting Prompto's gaze as he spoke. "She died when I was a kid."

"Oh," Prompto whispered. "Oh, I didn't... I mean I wasn't... shit. I'm-"

Noctis shook his head vehemently, looking up and meeting Prompto's eye finally. "No! No, it's... I mean, it isn't _okay_ or anything, but it's alright. I'm alright. So's my dad, though it took him a really long time to get there. She got sick when I was a year old, and I don't remember a whole lot about her, 'cause she died when I was about six. I remember little things, but most of it is stuff that's triggered from pictures."

Even though Noctis had reassured him, Prompto still looked a little bit embarrassed, and he twisted the corner of his napkin in his hand to try and distract himself a little bit. "But your dad's okay? And you're okay?" he asked.

Responding with a quick nod, Noctis also hummed an affirmative answer. "Yeah. My dad's married again. To his best friend since like... childhood. Turns out they'd always sorta had feelings for each other, but back when they were growing up, being into another guy wasn't really as accepted as it is now, you know? So, they hid it. And then they eloped like, two years ago. Brought us kids along and just… got hitched. Pretty hilarious, actually, 'cause it was kinda like... we were always a family. Clarus was always kinda like a second dad to me, and his kids, Gladio and Iris, were pretty much my siblings-"

"Wait. Gladio?" Prompto asked, blinking a couple of times. "Like… Gladiolus? And Clarus and Iris? As in... Amicitia?"

For a couple of seconds, Noctis just gaped at him, before nodding again. "Yeah. Why?" And then it dawned on him. "Whoa, wait. You know them?"

Again, Prompto was silent, like gears were clicking into place in his mind. "Six help me, I'm an idiot. Your last name's Caelum, isn't it? You're Noctis Caelum. As in Regis Caelum of Caelum Enterprises? The same Caelum Enterprises where my dad works as a bodyguard for both Clarus and maybe your dad? Because if that's true..."

It _was_ true. Noctis nodded his head, blinking a couple of times at Prompto and then laughing softly to himself. That meant Cor was his dad, then, and Gentiana was his mom. Which meant Noctis had known Prompto's parents for _years_ , and somehow he'd never actually met _Prompto_. How, though?

"How have I never met you?!" Noctis asked. "Before Envy, I mean. Like... I was always dragged along to all kinds of stuffy company parties. Dragged along kicking and screaming and bored while all kinds of adults told me how cute I was, until they finally let me wander off and go play with some of the kids my age." Kids his age, like Prompto. So, how had they never met?

All of the joy at realizing they had such a simple connection instantly drained from Prompto's face as he scratched his head nervously. "Oh. I, um..." he paused, clamping down on his lip and then chucking a nervous and humorless note. "I-"

However, before he could answer, the waitress got to the table with their two plates. Prompto immediately clammed up, nervously looking down at the table and still rubbing the back of his neck as he murmured his gratitude to the waitress. Noctis thanked the woman too, who seemed to sense the tension she'd accidentally walked into and quickly hurried away. That, however, left Noctis glancing across the table at Prompto, who didn't launch back into his explanation right away. Instead, he nervously picked up an onion ring and broke it in half.

It was okay. He could take his time. Noctis wasn't going to rush him. Instead, he busied himself with assessing his burger and making sure no one had accidentally put a vegetable on it. Just as Noctis lifted the bread, though, Prompto started speaking again.

"When I was a kid... I had pretty bad anxiety. Well, no. Okay. I actually still kinda have it pretty bad today, but it was even worse when I was a kid. It was like... they worried I wouldn't be able to go to a normal school, it was so bad." While Prompto spoke, he stared down at the table, picking at the green bits in his salad and shifting a couple of pieces of chickatrice meat around. "Eventually, I did get to go to school, but it was kinda like... for the first little while, a lot of my worst fears were confirmed. I was this chubby kid, y'know? With glasses, and braces when I was a preteen, which meant, for a long time, I didn't have a lot of friends. I got picked on a lot."

"You got past it, though. Right?"

Prompto looked up from his salad, poking at a piece of chickatrice meat and sliding it around in the dressing that had collected on the side. "For the most part," he answered with a nod as he continued to soak the small chunk of battered chickatrice meat in salad dressing. "I still feel it from time to time. Like at the club the day we met, or when I'm performing in the park on a particularly busy day. It can get bad, unless I take my meds or I feel _really_ comfortable, but..." He shrugged, finally biting the chickatrice bit on the end of his fork.

Anxiety explained a lot. Namely the feeling Noctis had gotten the night they met; why Prompto wasn't as comfortable as he wanted to let on in the club, and why clubs weren't really his scene. He was trying to push beyond his anxiety, and it seemed like he'd done really well with it when he was out on the dance floor. Seemed. Noctis supposed anxiety was one of those things that never really _actually_ went away. People fought it and overcame it all the time, but he assumed it was a lot like depression. Someone could think they were rid of it, but then it reared its head again and that person was back to square one.

Even making the attempt was admirable, though. At least that was what people always told him. With a gentle nod and a shrug, Noctis picked up a couple of fries and put them on his burger. "Still, you overcame it," he mused with an encouraging smile. "Even if you have moments of... not even weakness, just, recurrence? That's okay."

Rather than respond right away, Prompto nodded as he took a sip of his soda, then stabbed another couple of bits of salad with his fork. "Yeah, that's what my mom always tries to tell me. She's proud of me for getting over it like I have, and being able to do things like go to clubs or play my music on the sidewalk or whatever. 'Cause for a long time, they weren't sure if I'd ever be able to," he confessed.

Honestly, to Noctis, it just made Prompto seem all the more awesome. Attractive, talented, nice, and brave; was there anything he didn't have going for him? Of course, Noctis could only imagine that anxiety wasn't really ideal or anything, but if Prompto had fought back against it for as long as he had, as _well_ as he had, then that was another thing that just... made him stand out; something else to set him apart from a lot of the people Noctis had ever met. It was hilarious, too—in a sort of sad way—that, if not for their respective issues, maybe they could have met a whole lot sooner. Noctis took a sip of his drink, before pressing down on the top bun to his burger.

"I still think it's a shame we didn't meet when we were younger. Like, I knew Cor and Gen had a son, but I had no idea he was anything like you," Noctis confessed before he took a bite.

Prompto chuckled fondly around a mouthful of onion ring. "I don't think you'd've liked me much," he admitted. "It took me a long time to get where I'm at now. I was really shy. And nerdy, too. And I didn't look like this either, like I said. I was chubby, I had glasses, braces, and super red hair. Super awkward."

"You had red hair?" Noctis asked. It was probably a weird thing to latch onto, but he had.

As soon as the words escaped Noctis' lips, Prompto blinked at him a couple of times, like he was wondering where in the hell Noctis had gotten that information. He swallowed the food he had in his mouth, then stammered, "I... h-how did you... I mean... yeah. But I never..."

Noctis nodded. "You did, actually," he mused with a comforting smile. "You said you had super red hair."

Blinking twice, Prompto stared at Noctis in stunned silence. "I did?" he asked, his voice soft as he poked at another piece of chickatrice meat in his salad. "I guess it's okay. You're different than those other people, so… I don't mind you knowing. It's weird, though, 'cause I usually never reveal that to anyone. 'Cause I was picked on about it when I was a kid, like I said. But... yeah. Red hair. Like, really red. I'm not talking, like... Ron Weasley orange, or the soft, almost strawberry blond orange. It was like... medium copper red. I stuck out like a sore thumb. But I started dyeing it as soon as I hit high school, lost a lot of weight, got blue contacts to go with my blond hair, and..." He shrugged. "Didn't get picked on anymore, I guess. Made a lot more friends, too." The smile on his face was a little bit bittersweet as he ate another onion ring.

"I don't understand why you had to dye your hair, though. It's just hair," Noctis mused. Red hair and green eyes probably looked amazing on Prompto. Noctis almost wanted to draw it.

Prompto shrugged. "I mean, how many people do you know with red hair?" he asked.

Off the top of Noctis' head, there were none. He supposed that was a good point. He'd seen people on TV or in movies with red hair, but that probably didn't mean that it was common. Still, "that doesn't mean it's a good reason to pick on someone. Especially without getting to know them," he muttered.

With a hum, Prompto stared down at the table. "Think it was the whole package. Overweight. Glasses. Bright red hair. Braces. All that stuff. Kids are mean, y'know? One of 'em doesn't wanna be your friend, none of 'em do."

"I think I still would've been your friend," Noctis pointed out. "If we're friends now, I think we would've been friends then, too."

Prompto was quiet for a few seconds, then speared a few more salad bits with his fork. "Guess that's just another way you're different from most people," he told Noctis.

Noctis shrugged. "I don't think anyone should be allowed to judge anyone else until they get to know them. Like, I know I didn't know you then, so I didn't know what you were _like_ then, but I gotta think you'd've liked the same stuff you like now. You'd have the same tastes, yeah? You liked music even back then, and you were still really easy to talk to," he mused, before taking another bite of his burger.

"Maybe. Kinda makes me wish we _had_ met earlier, to be honest. I'm okay now though. In high school, after I changed my hair and lost all my extra weight, I started making friends and stuff, like I said. I don't really keep touch with most of them, because the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to be friends with people who only wanted to be my friend when I had blond hair and blue eyes and was skinny. You know? I guess I didn't _completely_ let go of it, because I still have the blond hair and I still wear the contacts, but..."

Humming an understanding note, Noctis mused, "I mean, it kind of makes sense, doesn't it? Negative reinforcement from when you were a kid sticks with you." He thought back to the times when people told him he was too quiet. Too internal. Unlike Prompto, he hadn't really tried to change it, but he understood why people _would_ try and change something if it ended with them ostracized, too. "I'm a little curious to see what you look like _with_ red hair someday. I know it's not easy to show stuff like that, especially when bleaching comes into the picture, but just... if you ever felt like you wanted to be a redhead again."

Prompto regarded him curiously for a few seconds. "Wait, how do you know how hard it is to bleach? I mean… I assumed… your hair's naturally dark. It looks it, anyway. You've never had to bleach it or anything, right? Unless it was for some kind of costume thing," he thought aloud. It wasn't a committal answer to the request to see him with red hair, but honestly, Noctis didn't expect one.

It also brought a pretty uncomfortable topic out into the open.

No matter how unpleasant the topic was, if Noctis wanted Prompto to continue to be open with him, it was only fair to be open in return. The depression part would probably come out later, but for now, the more pressing issue that required Noctis' honesty... was the exact reason why he knew how annoying and difficult bleaching was for hair.

Laughing awkwardly, Noctis raised a single shoulder in a shrug and lowered his eyes to glance at the fries on his plate. "Ex-boyfriend," he explained.

Initially, that was going to be the only explanation he gave, but when he looked up to see Prompto looking at him in question, he breathed a sigh and looked back down at his plate again. " _Recent_ ex-boyfriend," he continued. "I dated him for two years, and I had to watch him gripe about bleaching his hair a lot. He asked me to help him once, and that was…" He paused to laugh again, "it uh… didn't end well. His hair is originally brown, but it came out looking like… almost like a zebra who ate too many Cheetos…"

Amusement flooded Prompto's face, and he scratched the top of his head awkwardly. "I'm gonna assume that was the last time he asked you to help him bleach?" he asked.

"Yeah," Noctis half-smiled. "He also dragged me to the salon and made me pay for them to fix it."

Prompto blinked. "Wait, seriously? Even when, I'm assuming, it was pretty obvious you were out of your comfort zone helping him? 'Cause that seems like it's more his fault than yours…" he pointed at Noctis with his fork.

Humming an answer, Noctis raked his teeth over his lip and dipped a fry in ketchup. "Yeah, it… that's how it always was with Loqi, though. He tried to get me to step out of my comfort zone, which was great. I'm pretty sure I need to do that more anyway," he admitted, "but when it involved doing things that affected him? He'd get really annoyed when I wasn't good at them right away."

"Sounds like a real winner," Prompto mused flatly, around a mouthful of salad. "No wonder it didn't work."

Noctis was quiet for a few seconds, staring blankly down at his plate and sighing, before shaking his head. "Actually, that didn't have anything to do with it," he confessed with a frown. "Well, maybe it did in a way. He wasn't always the easiest person to live with. Which, I guess, made it kinda awkward, when he moved in with me and everything."

The way Prompto was looking at him made his concern pretty obvious. A second glance made it seem like Prompto wanted to ask for more detail, but he was hesitant. Weighing his options for a few seconds, he thought of how upfront Prompto had been with him about a lot of things so far. His anxiety, the fact that blond wasn't his real hair color… a lot of things people didn't usually tell new friends. A lot of things it would have been easy for him to gloss over, but he hadn't.

It wasn't like Noctis thought he _owed_ Prompto an explanation. No, the truth of the matter was, he _wanted_ to give one.

So, with a short puff of breath, Noctis moved a couple of fries around on his plate, not lifting his head to meet Prompto's gaze when he spoke. "He cheated on me. A bunch of times, from what I gathered. I'm not sure when it started, or if I even really want to know. But we'd been dating for about two years, and then Gladio walks around the corner to take a back alley to get to my place so we could go fishing? And he catches Loqi down on his knees in front of some dude with his pants down. Needless to say, we didn't go fishing that day."

Prompto was watching Noctis in horror, his food completely abandoned as he said, "I remember one day a couple of months ago, where Gladio was at my apartment with Aranea, and he wouldn't stop ranting about cheaters and how he wanted to break someone's neck. Aranea kept saying 'you'll have to beat me to it' or something, and when I asked what it was about they told me not to worry, but went right back to grumbling. Was that after...?" He trailed off, looking at Noctis in question.

"Mmm, probably," Noctis murmured, then chuckled bitterly. "So you're Aranea's roommate, huh?"

It wasn't subtle, but it was Noctis' way to sort of steer the topic of conversation away from Loqi. The last thing Prompto probably needed was to hear all about Noctis' romantic failure. Especially when the whole rest of their evening had been amazing so far. Getting to know each other, enjoying a movie and a meal together... there was no reason to ruin that with mention of an asshole ex-boyfriend.

For a couple of seconds, Prompto looked at him like he wanted to ask more. He blinked a couple of times, before glancing down at his plate, then back up at Noctis and nodding. "For now, anyway. You're friends with Gladio. You know they're getting hitched," he mused.

Noctis nodded and hummed a soft note of laughter. "Yeah. I'm in Gladio's wedding party actually. So I definitely know." Ignis was the best man, but Noctis wouldn't have let Gladio live it down if he'd been completely left out of the party.

"I think Aranea wants to move in with him before the wedding," Prompto explained, stabbing a couple of cucumber pieces and then a couple of pieces of lettuce. "But she's staying at our apartment for my sake, because I'm struggling to find a sane roommate. Like, I offered to take one of the people who's already been to the apartment to interview, because you can't _always_ expect roommates to be good and someone you can get along with. Aranea's not letting me, though. She keeps setting up new interviews, and sometimes I feel like _I'm_ the one moving out, and _she's_ the one who's gotta find a good roommate."

Laughing, Noctis picked up a couple of fries and swirled them around in the ketchup. His laughter stopped abruptly, an idea dawning on him.

Prompto was looking for a roommate. _Noctis_ was looking for a roommate. But would they be _good_ roommates? Yeah, the pair of them got along really well. Yeah, they were friends. In fact, they were getting closer each time they talked, and they got along well enough to trust one another with some deeper, darker secrets already. Did that necessarily mean they would be good roommates, though?

Truth be told, even though they'd only been friends for a couple of weeks, Noctis genuinely believed Prompto would be a pretty good roommate. He'd be respectful of Noctis' boundaries. Noctis was pretty sure he wouldn't trash the apartment or have any stupid or crazy parties. Plus, as embarrassing as it was to admit it, Noctis was pretty excited about the fact that (if he asked this and Prompto said yes) they'd get to hang out a lot. Netflix binges on Friday night wouldn't be boring anymore. They could go out together to places that weren't Envy; more movies, more dinner, more fun stuff.

Noctis lifted his head and met Prompto's eye. "Are you attached to your apartment? Or would you be open to another one?" he asked first. A safe question, disguised as interest in Prompto's situation.

The snorted laugh Prompto returned with was more of an answer than anything else. "No way," he admitted. "I hate my place. Like... really hate it, actually. It's not _gross_ but it's not... you know. It's nothing like yours. Your place is amazing. I won't call it a dream home, because I really don't want to _live_ in an apartment forever? But for now? It's pretty close to a dream." He looked up at Noctis, smiling softly and finishing his last onion ring.

Okay, well that was definitely an answer. Noctis hummed a note to himself, before meeting Prompto's gaze head on and leveling his expression out so there was absolutely no question as to how serious he was.

"How about... y'know... moving into my place and being my roommate?" he asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, THE QUESTION EVERYONE WAS WAITING FOR.
> 
> What will Prompto _say_ though?  >_>


	7. Foolish Behavior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _a night like this, every minute is a prelude to the show._  
>  _face to face, get lost in it._  
>  _your eyes can tell me where to go..._  
> [foolish behavior](https://open.spotify.com/track/2yBOm45nc4MQZKfcbAQJhS?si=Jzge032zTDWmbcUPmov4Gw) ;; neon trees  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbQF9O27O0w) ]

"Are you serious?"

Prompto's voice was a gentle whisper, one Noctis almost didn't hear over the bustle and music in the restaurant. He could see words on his friend's lips, and couldn't help but laugh a soft note at the way Prompto's mouth just hung open, more surprise lining his eyes, at the end of the question. Prompto pointed to himself like he expected another random person to creep out from the janitor's closet beside their table and claim the offer for their own. Noctis was equal parts amused and concerned by the reaction, but he decided not to make a big deal of it.

In fact, Noctis decided to make sure Prompto _realized_ it wasn't a big deal. "I mean, yeah," he nodded. "If you want to, anyway."

Prompto clamped down on his lower lip, then pointed at himself. "Me? I mean... you're sure you want _me_ to be your roommate? Like... do you even _need_ a roommate? And your place is really nice. Would I even be able to afford to pay part of the rent?" he asked in a flurry, speaking a mile a minute, finally silencing himself to push his plate away.

"Rent's not that bad," Noctis pointed out. "My dad pays for most of it, and my ex could easily afford the parts we made him pay for on retail wages. I think your part would probably cost as much as normal rent. Your part would probably be about twenty thousand gil a month. Plus part of the utilities. My last roommate-" he pointedly avoided mentioning Loqi, or the fact that he was Noctis' ex, again- "got out for about forty-five thousand gil a month.."

That, he remembered, was a complaint Loqi made all the time. For the cost of the partial rent and utilities he was paying, he could easily afford an apartment of his own in a different part of town. For all the complaining he did, though, he never actually went and did it. It couldn't have been that bad, could it have? Prompto could afford it. At least Noctis hoped so.

"Is that doable?"

Prompto looked up, blinked at Noctis, and said, "that's... way cheaper than what I'm paying for my place," with a soft laugh.

Noctis shrugged. "Plus, we get along great," he pointed out.

He went quiet quickly, turning his head down to the table and trying to will away the red heat creeping its way up to his cheeks. Coming on strong was a bad idea. The absolute last thing he wanted was to make Prompto think he was being too pushy about it. Eager, yeah. Actually wanting to be roommates? Definitely. Pushy? No.

Prompto pushed that worry away with a nod and a half-smile. "We do, it's true. _Plus_ , your place is like... way closer to my job than where I currently am," he added.

It occurred to Noctis right then that this solution, especially if it involved negotiations like this, wouldn't really help with the whole 'relying on his dad less' thing that he wanted to do, but the idea of having Prompto as a roommate was appealing in a way he'd never expected it to be. A friend. Someone who understood him. Someone who understood it wasn't always the easiest thing in the world to be okay and face the world with a smile.

The surprise on Prompto's face faded into tentative happiness, but then he went quiet for another couple of seconds. "Part of me wants to discuss it with Aranea, since she seems to have such a vested interest in me finding a good roommate, but she knows you," he mused. "And I don't think I've ever heard her complain about you before. Not that I'd probably have realized it if I had." He went quiet again, lifting his drink and considering the offer over a long sip. "Plus, it's not like I even really need her permission or for her to sign off on it, anyway. I mean, I'm an adult. My parents know your parents, so it's not like you're just some random person..." he added.

It was still a little bit difficult not to come on too strong, and to keep himself from talking, Noctis looked down at his mostly-empty plate, picking at sesame seeds from the bun of his burger. Prompto's silence wasn't a no, but it also wasn't a yes, and Noctis found he would probably be willing to pay any price to know what was going on in his friend's head.

Then, Prompto stopped, met Noctis' gaze squarely, and smiled. "You know what? I'll do it."

"Wait, really? Just like that? No more questions or anything... you'll just-"

Prompto nodded his head eagerly, the smile still on his face as he shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, yeah," he answered. "You're my friend. One of the best I've ever had, to be completely honest. I know you wouldn't offer if your place wasn't safe, and like I said, it's not like we're strangers or anything. We have a whole lot of the same friends, I bet, so it's not like I'm going into this whole new social circle with a whole bunch of people I don't know. I trust you, Noct-" he paused- "is! Noctis!"

Grinning, Noctis corrected, "Noct is fine."

"Okay," Prompto's smile went shy, as he lowered his eyes to look at the table. "So, yeah. I... I trust you, Noct. Why not just take the plunge and be roommates, right?"

The smile on Noctis' face right then was one of the most genuine and honest he ever recalled giving. If the table hadn’t been separating them right then, he would have hugged Prompto so tight it would’ve probably made it hard for _both_ of them to breathe. Instead, the pair of them exchanged another excited smile.

Noctis flagged the waitress down as she walked past, asking for their check, and then turned to Prompto. "Do you want to come by tonight?" he asked. "Look the place over?"

With an eager nod, Prompto pulled his wallet out and then glanced up to meet Noctis' eye. "Let me pay for this, alright? To celebrate? And to kind of thank you for making the offer, because I was probably going to lose my mind if I had to go through another roommate interview with a weirdo." He chuckled softly, meeting Noctis' eye and pleading silently for Noctis to accept the offer.

It was a little bit amusing, to be honest, because Noctis had been planning on sneaking to pay for the whole meal, but Prompto's offer put him on the spot a little bit. He chuckled nervously, sliding his wallet back into his pocket and combing a hand through his hair, pushing some of the unstyled mess from his face.

"Alright, but I'm getting the next one, roomie," Noctis insisted, finishing off the last of his soda.

The first few miles of the trip from the restaurant back to Noctis' apartment—their apartment, soon—was filled with excited chatter about all the fun and amazing things they could do when they were roommates. Noctis was pleased to note none of it contained crazy things like parties or trips to clubs, not that he really expected anything like that from Prompto. Most of it consisted of movie marathons, chief on the list being a Lethal Force marathon, and trips to the park together; walking Umbra together and other things that Noctis would have normally done on his own.

Prompto was still going strong, talking about the video games he had when they hit Acernis Boulevard. Between the two of them, they had both sides of the console war covered, which meant that they'd both be able to play whatever games they wanted.

"Plus," Noctis added, turning to glance at Prompto while they were stopped at a red light, "the arcade's like... just two blocks away. We can totally go and bust everyone's records to pieces."

The very second Noctis mentioned the arcade, Prompto's eyes lit up like starlight. Noctis bit his lower lip, smiling warmly as he turned his head back to focus on the road. Well, maybe focus was an overstatement. All he could think of was the starry sparkle in Prompto's eyes, the way that the mere _thought_ of living so near the arcade made him brighten. It had to be the arcade, obviously. The only other option was he was that excited to go to the arcade with _Noctis_. Noctis supposed he could have sated his curiosity by asking, but honestly, at the moment he was too captivated by the way Prompto's eyes seemed to be smiling almost more than his lips were.

Then, though, the look in them changed. Noctis watched as they softened, then Prompto blinked, his lashes sweeping up and cementing the change in mood. Suddenly, Noctis found himself wishing the light would change faster. He turned his head toward it, thinking a desperate and silent plea for it to just _change_ already, but then dared himself to look back at Prompto.

Those same eyes Noctis was so wild about were locked on him now, and Noctis found himself wondering exactly what they looked like their natural green. Yeah, they were definitely gorgeous with the contacts in. Blue eyes were fitting, in their own way, but Noctis couldn't help but wonder what they looked like naturally. Gorgeous, he was sure. Just as bright and shimmering as they were now. Shining happily, bright and beautiful. Gods _help_ him if he saw the way they looked when Prompto flirted...

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, though, he realized Prompto's expression changed from a soft and pleased smile to that exact flirty expression Noctis was thinking about. Similar to the one Noctis recognized from the club, the one that had ended with Prompto in his bed that night. To be completely honest, it was having a pretty similar effect this time, too, so he could only imagine what it was like with _green_ eyes. The light was still red, even though there was no traffic to be seen, and Noctis was sorely tempted to _run_ the red light and take off speeding back toward his apartment, traffic laws and safety be damned. 

Instead, he looked around the intersection. There was a park on the right. Not the park he and Prompto had met up at a few weeks ago, and this one had the added benefit of usually being completely empty around this time of night. On the left was an empty parking lot, which would _also_ be fine for this purpose, but they'd be a lot more exposed than if they could find a private place in the park.

Of course, he _could_ be patient and just drive the rest of the way home, but... Prompto was still looking at him that way and Noctis found himself growing increasingly interested, literally.

Noctis stared up at the traffic light, trying to will it to change with a squint of his eyes, and that was when he felt it. Warmth. A warm hand, sliding along his thigh and inward, until it brushed against his length over his jeans. Even if he wasn't half-hard already, that would have been enough on its own to spring him into full interest.

"Prompto, you have no idea how tempted I am to run this red light and pull over at the park-"

Prompto's response was just as unwound as Noctis' own mind seemed to be, as he gently palmed at Noctis over his jeans. "Light's green, Noct."

That was all Noctis needed to hear. He pressed lightly on the gas pedal, turning the corner even though he hadn't exactly had the blinker on, and pulling over at the closest spot of curb he could park at. Prompto smoothed his hand along the bulge in Noctis' pants once again, and it was all he could do not to rock his hips upward as he cut the engine and yanked the keys out of the ignition with a little bit more force than needed.

"Backseat?" Prompto whispered, fingers playing at the button on the top of Noctis' jeans.

Noctis shook his head no, though. "Come with me," he insisted.

With a wry little grin, Prompto responded, "that's the plan, Noct," as he tugged gently at the fabric that surrounded the button.

Laughing a soft note, Noctis shook his head no. "N-no. That's... that's not what I meant. I meant, like... there's no privacy here," he pointed out. "There's a spot in the park that's completely surrounded with shrubs and trees. It's one of those little picnic table spots people rent for birthday parties. We have a lot more privacy there, and... and we can, you know... w-we can-"

Prompto leaned across the seat, capturing Noctis' lips in an eager and passionate kiss. The hand that had _just_ been kneading Noctis' jeans came up to rest on his cheek, and Prompto turned Noctis toward him to make kissing a little bit easier. When he pulled back, he had a deep red flush on his cheeks, and he smoothed his teeth over his lower lip, then nodded toward the park. "Lead the way," he insisted.

That was all Noctis needed to hear. He opened the door and got out of the car, waiting for Prompto to leave too, before using whatever part of his mind was still coherent to remember to lock the door behind them. Then, he stuffed his keys in his pocket and reached for Prompto's hand as his friend jogged around the car. Prompto set his hand in Noctis', and then Noctis took off in a jog toward the opposite side of the park.

A tiny part of his mind, the part not completely and totally occupied with thoughts of how much he wanted Prompto, was aware of how much this was like some kind of romantic movie. Two lovers, running through a semi-public place to find some privacy. The main difference was that Noctis and Prompto weren't actually _together_. They'd fucked once already, sure, and they seemed to trust each other and have a lot in common, but that didn't mean that they were dating. Friends did stuff like this all the time. Right? Friends had sex, friends went out to dinner, friends became roommates.

There was no need to be weird about it and assume there was more there than there really was.

In the distance, Noctis spotted the shrubbery wall, close to their destination. He allowed himself to justify taking a tiny bit more time to get there. He pulled on Prompto's hand, tugging his arm so he was walking just ahead of Noctis. As soon as Prompto was in front of him, Noctis placed two hands on his hips and pulled his body closer. Prompto's smile made Noctis' own smile go a little bit lopsided as he leaned forward and crashed their lips together in a desperate kiss.

Something about kissing Prompto—Noctis wasn't completely sure what it was, really—was enough to make every single nerve in his body come to life and whirl into overdrive. His heart thrummed a mile a minute in his chest, and he wasn't even _thinking_ about the fact that anyone in the nearby apartments could probably see their silhouettes.

That awareness seeped further and further away when Prompto, while still backing in the direction of the shrubbery wall, smoothed his hand up the back of Noctis' shirt and into his hair. That was a weakness he didn't realize he'd had until the first time that he and Prompto slept together. Lithe fingertips tangled into his hair—Noctis found himself, in the back of his mind, wondering how different it felt without product in it—and without breaking the kiss and stopping their travel to the distant shrub wall, he leaned down to rain kisses on Prompto's neck.

"Jeez, Noct. Don't think a kiss has ever driven me this insane before."

Noctis hummed a laugh against Prompto's throat—feeling a tiny bit of triumph when it brought another pleased chuckle of a sigh to Prompto's lips—and murmured, "me either. Hands in my hair, too."

Unfortunately, in their frenzy, neither of them was paying too much attention to where they were going, or how close they'd gotten to the shrubbery wall. Before either of them realized it, Prompto backed into it, and Noctis _tried_ to over-correct and keep Prompto from falling... which only ended with _both_ of them toppling over and Prompto falling into the nearest stretch of shrubbery.

Noctis tried to keep from falling with him, and ended up toppling to the ground in front of the shrub.

Mortified didn't even begin to cover how Noctis felt as he pulled himself up from the ground. Of course, this would happen. Of _course_ , he'd try to be smooth and bring Prompto someplace they could have a little time alone, and he'd end up backing them into some damned shrubbery, like an idiot. Noctis wasn't usually clumsy, but it would figure that the one time he _was_ clumsy was when he desperately wanted not to be.

At first, he had every intention to beg Prompto to forgive him; to say he was sorry for not paying attention and make sure that he wasn't hurt. Some of the branches on the shrubs were a little bit sharp and Noctis could only _hope_ Prompto hadn't been scratched up too much. Just as quickly as the mortification set in, though, Noctis heard Prompto laughing and it all faded away. _Prompto_ —the one who had fallen backward into a shrub—was laughing. He didn't seem fazed at all by the whole situation, actually, and Noctis had to wonder if he was actually human, or if he was some kind of angel.

Slowly, Noctis pulled himself back to his feet and then reached down to take Prompto's hand. "S-sorry about that." He tried to absorb some of Prompto's amusement, but he was a little too embarrassed. "Wasn't really paying attention to where we were going."

Prompto shrugged it off with an easy smile as he took Noctis' hand, then followed through when Noctis helped him stand, putting himself right back in Noctis' face again. "I know there's no way you could possibly know this, but I'm a major klutz." As Prompto spoke, he slid his hands into the back pockets of Noctis' jeans and used the position to tug Noctis even closer to him. "If I've gotta end up in a bush, I can think of worse ways to do it then because I was way too caught up in making out with you."

All Noctis could manage in reply was a laugh. He _wanted_ to say something thought-provoking, or at least something funny, but his mind was slowly racing out of his reach. He was standing hips to hips, chest to chest, face to face with Prompto... was he really _expected_ to have a clear mind? The only thing that _was_ clear, was the thought of getting Prompto somewhere a little more private than this. They were still in plain view of anyone who happened to be walking past the park, and while a pretty large part of Noctis' mind couldn't have cared less, the rest of him didn't want to get caught.

So, he backed toward the opening in the shrubbery, dragging Prompto along with him, trying to _focus_ this time, so neither of them ended up falling. 

Finally, he found the archway and pulled Prompto inside the cover of the shrubbery wall. As they moved toward the picnic table, Noctis slid his hands up underneath Prompto's shirt, marveling at the familiar feeling of that warm and smooth skin underneath his fingertips. It was weird, in a way. They'd been together once before, but then, Noctis hadn't really been too concerned with taking his time and learning Prompto's body. Now, as they made an abrupt stop and Prompto's legs hit the picnic table in the center of the picnic area, Noctis wanted nothing more.

"You okay?" Noctis asked first. 

Prompto's voice was a soft sigh, and he brushed his fingers up Noctis' abdomen to slide along his chest. "Yeah," he answered, before brushing his thumb along Noctis' right nipple.

The thought of confirming whether Prompto was _sure_ he was okay or not was completely gone, replaced instead with a sharp breath through his nose. Being touched, having his body _felt_ and _explored_ was new. Prompto's wandering hands, gentle though they were, were gliding across places that... well, places that hadn't been explored like that before. It was weird, but in a _really_ good way. Taking time and going slow, rather than having to rush, rush, rush, until they got to where they needed to be.

Much to Noctis' surprise, even though they'd been in a rush to get to where they were, now they were there, he saw absolutely no reason to rush. He didn't _want_ to rush. The smirk that Prompto was quirking at him right then showed that he wasn't really in too much of a hurry, either.

So, Noctis leaned forward, crashing their lips together again and sliding his fingers around to Prompto's back. His fingertips, hungry as Prompto's had seemed moments ago, wandered their way up Prompto's back. He explored the smooth skin, which was warm against his chilly fingertips, and he was barely aware of the way Prompto flipped their positions around, pinning _Noctis_ against the picnic table. The hands that were formerly sliding along his chest and torso moved downward, looping in the belt loops of his jeans and tugging him around the picnic table. Gently, softly, one hand moved up to Noctis' chest and pushed him down to the seat.

Noctis simply gawked up at him, curious as to what was going on.

It didn't take him long at all to figure out the answer. Prompto leaned over, bringing one hand up to place on his chin gently. They locked eyes for a couple of seconds—a couple of _long_ seconds, where everything was quiet and Noctis couldn't really think of anything other than how _beautiful_ Prompto's eyes were, even barely visible in the dark—and then Prompto leaned in and pressed their lips together in a hungry kiss.

The kiss was desperate, eager. Noctis could feel it in every single fiber of his being, even as Prompto hooked a hand gently around the back of his neck and dragged Noctis along with a kiss, while he got on his knees on the grass. Noctis was hesitant, when the kiss broke, and he lingered a little bit behind for a couple of seconds, before watching as Prompto slid his hands up Noctis' thighs.

Oh. _Oh_. This wasn't exactly what he was _expecting_ , but honestly, he was okay with it as long as Prompto was.

Noctis' answer came in the form of Prompto completely skipping pretenses and quickly setting to work with unbuckling Noctis' belt. His hand smoothed along Noctis' length over his clothing once more, and Noctis pulled a slow breath in through his nose again. "Fuck," he hissed under his breath.

Prompto chuckled softly, then finished opening Noctis' jeans. He pushed the zipper open and out of the way, and then slid the elastic band of his boxer-briefs down, and suddenly Noctis felt incredibly exposed. It wasn't an unpleasant kind of exposure—mostly because Prompto had seen him way more exposed than this—but the night air was chilly against skin that was already significantly warmer than it would normally be.

Opening his thighs a little bit, Noctis glanced down at Prompto, who looked back up at him with a lopsided, slightly nervous grin on his face. Noctis responded with what he _hoped_ was an encouraging smile.

Noctis didn't get to wonder about it for long, though, Prompto leaned down, and Noctis felt the warmth and moisture of Prompto's mouth surrounding the tip of his length. He pulled in an attempt at a slow, steadying breath. The only steadying factor was that he didn't want to rock his hips upward and risk hurting Prompto. He let the breath out slowly, clasping one hand on the side of the picnic table and closing the other into a tight fist at his side. He _wanted_ to let his head loll back, but the rest of him wanted to look at Prompto; wanted to watch him.

His brain wouldn't let him, though. When Prompto's tongue ran along the tip, lapping up a tiny bit of precome, Noctis couldn't help but let a little shudder wrack his body and let his head fall back for a couple of seconds.

"F-fuck," he whispered again. 

Slowly, Noctis felt him take a little bit more in, and then a little bit more, continuing as far as he could, before he moved his hand down to cover the last little bit. A weird mixture of tension and relaxation coursed through him, and he grabbed the bench a little bit tighter, until he felt his fingernails dig into the wood. On the other hand, he felt his nails digging into his palm, but he didn't care, honestly. The pain didn't even register.

"Feels... feels amazing, Prom," Noctis breathed out, wiggling just slightly in an attempt not to rock his hips.

Prompto tilted his head just slightly, his mouth and hand still working their magic, but his eyes locking with Noctis' and silently questioning, seeking a little bit more encouragement. His eyes, even dimmed by the darkness to the point that Noctis couldn't exactly make the color out, sparkled like gemstones. It made Noctis all the more curious about how they looked in green. The expression was a mix of playful mischief and eagerness to please. Whatever part of his mind wasn't completely clouded over in the haze that Prompto was putting him into, wanted nothing more than to make sure Prompto realized that he was _definitely_ pleased.

The hand that was balled into a fist released, the tension keeping it taut for another couple of seconds before it relaxed just a _little_ bit, and then he reached forward, gliding into Prompto's hair and pushing it back from his face. The intimacy of the gesture was the farthest thing from Noctis' mind. What _was_ in his mind was the way that Prompto reached his free hand up and moved Noctis' from his hair, instead twining their fingers together, then turned his attention back downward, speeding his movements up a little bit.

Noctis let out a soft cry that echoed just slightly into the area around them, and let his head fall backward again. Prompto's hand in his, the warmth of Prompto's mouth around his cock... it was too much. Too good. His hips wiggled just a little bit, a silent warning to Prompto that he was getting close.

It occurred to him that he should probably give a _proper_ warning, too, but words were having a hard time connecting from his brain to his mouth. All he managed was a strangled cry of, "close," and a squeeze to Prompto's hand.

When Prompto didn't shy away, and instead responded by hollowing his cheeks just slightly and speeding his movements up, Noctis could only _hope_ it was permission to let go. With a sharp gasp, and then a shuddering groan, he felt the tension release, as the waves of climax rippled through him. He squeezed Prompto's hand a little bit tighter, and he tried _desperately_ to breathe, but it was almost like a supernova was exploding out of his body. He stayed motionless, breathless, for several seconds and when breath finally returned to him, he tilted his head back downward to glance at Prompto, who was sitting back on his knees now and meeting Noctis' eye with a nervous smile.

Noctis could see the question in his eyes, and while he _wanted_ to answer with words, his brain wasn't really connecting with the rest of him at the moment. Instead, he slid in an almost boneless motion, down off the bench and onto the grass, before extending his hand and placing it on the back of Prompto's neck to pull him in for a grateful kiss.

It tasted weird, his own taste on Prompto's lips, but there was enough of Prompto's own increasingly familiar taste mixed in to make up for that.

Noctis' free hand reached between them and found its way underneath Prompto's shirt. He trailed his fingers slowly and teasingly along his abdomen, and let his thumbs dip just below the waist of Prompto's jeans. Slowly, he broke the kiss, but pressed his lips to Prompto's jaw instead.

"You're the first person who's, y'know, done that for me," Noctis admitted.

Sad, but true. He'd been in Prompto's position many times before, but never on the receiving end, and, it felt _amazing_. Better than Noctis could've expected. This was one of the things that Loqi would never do, and Noctis had never really asked beyond the first time. This, he figured, was just another way that Prompto was night and day different. He was kinder, more generous, and Noctis was quickly coming to realize that he was in a whole world of trouble. If he wasn't careful, he could end up falling head over heels in love with Prompto.

"It was amazing," Noctis murmured against his skin, as his thumb brushed against the skin of Prompto's lower abdomen.

One of Prompto's hands came to rest on Noctis' side, and he took in a shaky breath. "Yeah?"

Humming an agreeing note, Noctis lowered a second hand down to meet with the first, and made purposely-slow work of unhooking the buttons on Prompto's button-fly. "Really amazing," he answered, moving his lips down to kiss Prompto's neck. "Just as good as it did when we fucked."

"Oh. G-good. I'm glad," Prompto answered, trying to play it as cool as possible, but Noctis could almost hear the anticipation in his voice as he lifted his hips into a touch Noctis wasn't quite giving yet.

It was hard not to laugh a little bit at that, but fortunately, Noctis managed to keep his laughter down to a soft hum against Prompto's throat. "You know, I've been thinking about doing this since we were back in the theater?"

That was a little embarrassing to admit, but hell, Noctis didn't think that Prompto would make a big deal of it. He'd been about ready to do exactly the same thing for Noctis in the car, so maybe hearing this would make him feel good. And well, if that didn't? Noctis had finally worked the last button on Prompto's jeans open, so there was only a thin layer of fabric separating him from something he _knew_ would make Prompto feel good.

"Really?" Prompto asked, his voice a little bit more croaking than Noctis imagined he wanted it to be. It was pretty sexy, though.

Noctis nodded his head, trailing lazy and open-mouthed kisses from Prompto's neck to the skin just underneath his ear. "Could barely pay attention to the movie at the end," he admitted, as he slid his hand down into Prompto's boxers. "All I could think of was putting my hand in here, taking this -" He took Prompto's cock in his hand- "and making sure that you couldn't pay attention to the movie either. Figured that wouldn't be fair, though. You were enjoying it."

Prompto tried to laugh, Noctis could tell. Instead, though, he just let out a shuddering breath as he canted his hips upward just slightly into Noctis' hand. "You sh-should've," Prompto responded. "The movie was good and everything, but-"

In the middle of his sentence, Noctis squeezed just slightly and started sliding his hand gently up Prompto's length, successfully cutting Prompto off mid-sentence.

"B-but! But, I think... that would've been better," Prompto finally finished.

Noctis chuckled softly, and craned his neck so that he was looking Prompto in the eye again. He leaned his forehead against Prompto's, before tilting his head to capture Prompto's lips again. "Better, huh?" he asked, his voice a low whisper in Prompto's ear as found a slow and gentle rhythm with his hand. "I'll have to remember that for next time. Maybe we can go see a romcom like Love Favors Not the Wary, or something. See how long it takes me to make you go crazy."

With a breath that was _probably_ supposed to be laughter, Prompto replied, "not long... trust me," and raised his hips into Noctis' hand.

"Feel good?" Noctis asked.

Prompto didn't reply with words. Instead, he tilted his neck just slightly and crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss that just barely stifled a moan. A yes answer, if Noctis had ever heard one before. When they pulled apart, Prompto was panting for air, barely able to form a coherent word. The only one that Noctis could really make out was his own name, enshrouded in a gasp as Prompto grabbed a fistful of Noctis' shirt and buried his head in Noctis' shoulder. "Fuck, Noct. Feels good. Feels... so good..." He rocked his hips forward again, up and into Noctis' hand.

"Good," Noctis answered in a whisper against Prompto's neck, before planting a lazy and open-mouthed kiss to the crook where it met his shoulder. "Wanna make you feel good, Prom. Wanna make you go crazy."

More desperate, panting breaths were Prompto's only initial response, before it seemed like he gathered his head and murmured, "you do. You make me crazy, Noct. Ruh-really crazy. Feels so good.. everything about you feels good," he admitted in a breathless tone against Noctis' shoulder.

Noctis couldn't help but grin a little bit at that. Everything about Prompto felt pretty good, too, honestly. The fact that he made _Prompto_ feel so good... well, it made him feel even better. 

So, Noctis turned his head toward where Prompto's rested on his shoulder and murmured a soft command into his ear. "Kiss me," Noctis commanded gently.

Eagerly, Prompto obeyed. He tried to make it an intense and eager kiss, a crash of lips on lips as erratic as Prompto's breathing, but Noctis took control, changing the pace a little bit. This time, Noctis made sure it was a slow kiss. It was still desperate, sure, but sometimes... sometimes it took a little bit of tenderness, a little bit of gentleness, to drive someone really crazy. Noctis didn't know if that was the case for Prompto, but past experience had said that it was at least partially true.

Once again, Noctis was proven right, when Prompto's body tensed, and he grabbed hold of Noctis' shirt with both hands, clinging tightly to him and shuddering as he came. Prompto's release covered Noctis' hand, and rivulets of it got on each of their shirts and their pants as well, but Noctis couldn't have been bothered to care at the moment. All he cared about was easing Prompto through his climax, making sure that he got as much enjoyment out of this as he'd given Noctis mere moments ago. They kissed through half of it, and the other half was spent with Prompto's head on Noctis' shoulder as he tried to breathe.

Noctis let go of his cock, sliding his hand along the grass to wipe a majority of Prompto's release away. Not all of it, though. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and a droplet on his palm, away from where he'd wiped on the grass, caught his eye. As Prompto leaned back, still trying to catch his breath, Noctis bit his lip and swiped the tiny droplet up with the index finger on his opposite hand. Red dusted his cheeks—was this weird? Would Prompto think it was weird?—as he lifted it to his mouth and took a taste. It was... hard to describe. It was salty, like it was _supposed_ to be, sure. There was a different taste mixed in, too, though. A new taste.

Prompto's taste, and Noctis loved it.

The way Prompto was smiling at him, a soft, warm smile, answered his worry as to whether or not it was weird. It didn't seem like Prompto thought so, which was good. Noctis leaned forward, capturing Prompto's lips in a lazy kiss, and then mumbled, "c'mon, Prom. Let's go back to our apartment, yeah? Get cleaned up and show you around the place?"

"Our apartment," Prompto chuckled softly. "Yeah, okay. You might have to loan me some clothes, though? 'Cause we made a mess..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Hope the wait was worth it, friends. XD
> 
> Thanks so much to [Chellie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves/pseuds/EmeraldWaves) for being an awesome beta. This fic would probably suck without your help. ♥


	8. Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _i see colors in a different way,_  
>  _you make what doesn't matter fade to grey._  
>  _life is good and that's the way it should be._  
> [bright](https://open.spotify.com/track/3WKg25vrbjJlkhsgl2W4p3?si=8b2G0nAmQYatexIIps1JFA) ;; echosmith  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fUvYUpICW4) ]

"You know, 'Nea had been tellin' him for months the two of you'd make good roommates. Ever since I proposed and we started plannin' to move in together, she kept tellin' him how she knew this guy who needed a roommate. Never used your name, though..."

Noctis narrowed his eyes at Gladio, as he pushed Prompto's armoire over to the corner of the room. It had been a reasonably long day. A _really_ long one, actually, and the effects were finally starting to hit him full force. It had taken them longer than expected to move all of Prompto's larger possessions into the apartment. Noctis had been up since six in the morning, it was sundown now, and he was really starting to get tired. For now, the two of them were just stacking boxes, piling all of Prompto's things in his room while Aranea and Prompto went to get them Galahdan takeout for dinner.

In his advanced state of exhaustion, Noctis was a little more frustrated than usual with the fact that Gladio had never actually introduced them before. Ignis and Ravus were just as guilty too. As it turned out, _everyone_ in their circle had known Prompto. Everyone except Noctis.

Rather than air that out, and make Gladio mad, he sighed and sat on Prompto's mattress. "I mean, that was a long time ago,. I had a roommate up until last month," he pointed out, stretching his arms up over his head and groaning with satisfaction at the way his back and elbows popped twice.

"Yeah," Gladio replied nonchalantly, grabbing his water bottle from the top of one of the boxes. "But even with him, you still needed a real roommate. Tummelt wasn't exactly the sparkling example of Roommate of the Year. Pretty sure I heard your old man bitching to my old man about how the douchebag didn't pay his part of the rent a couple times and how your dad got a letter from the landlord."

Noctis blinked. "Wait, what? Dad never told me about that..." he murmured.

Gladio shook his head no, before squeezing a generous portion of water into his mouth. He leaned back against the wall, resting his elbow on top of Prompto's dresser. "'Course he didn't, Noct. He knew you were stupid over Tummelt. Didn't want to make it harder than it probably already was to live with 'im. And you know your old man would've paid whatever to keep you happy."

That was true. Noctis stared down at his hands where they were folded on his lap, and pulled in a slow breath. So, Loqi had skipped on his part of the rent, then. To the landlord, it probably just looked like Noctis was coming up short, but rather than coming to Noctis and talking it over so that Noctis could talk to Loqi and find out what had happened, the landlord just went right to Noctis' dad. Noctis knew it was part of the deal, having his dad on the lease for the apartment, but he really wished he'd known, too. He could handle it. Yeah, he was in an emotional rough patch, once he realized his relationship with Loqi was falling apart, but it wasn't like one little tick of bad news was going to send him over the edge.

"I just wish he'd told me," Noctis admitted. If nothing else, it would have been a hint Loqi wasn't as happy as he wanted to make it seem. "Could've known something was up before we had to find out the hard way."

The mention of discovering Loqi's cheating made Gladio's expression change, his lips forming a straight line as he set his water bottle back down. "Maybe. But Noct, remember how much it took for me to make you believe me when I _did_ tell you? Your old man prob'ly would've had a harder time, honestly. Especially since he never really made a secret of how much he hates Loqi," he mused with a wry little chuckle.

"Loqi doesn't matter," Noctis insisted, striving for a change of subject. He didn't want to be thinking about Loqi when Prompto and Aranea got back with the food. He didn't want to think about Loqi in front of Prompto anymore at _all_. Fortunately, Prompto made it easy to forget.

Gladio snorted a laugh. "You got no idea how long we've all wanted you to say that," he commented under his breath.

With a put-upon sigh, Noctis rolled his eyes, pushed up from Prompto's bed and moved toward the window. "What _does_ matter is that Prompto and me are gonna be roommates. You've known him for awhile, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Gladio answered. "Why?"

Noctis shrugged one shoulder, smoothing a hand through his hair as he looked out at the horizon. "I mean… 'cause he's gonna be my roommate. I've known him for a few weeks and everything, and we're friends and stuff, but you know him better than me. You and Aranea have known him for longer. Do… do you think this was a good move?"

Without hesitation, Gladio nodded. "Yeah. And no, it's not just 'cause it gets 'Nea to my place faster, so save that shit," he answered, cutting off Noctis' joking response.

"Man, you're no fun to mess with anymore," Noctis joked.

Gladio snorted a laugh in reply. "Never stops you, though, does it?" he asked. "But yeah. I think it's a good move. Prom's been really enjoyin' hanging out with you these past couple weeks. Like, even before me and 'Nea knew it was you? We were like, 'who's this dude he can't stop talkin' about?' We were thinkin' things were just kinda… y'know. Turnin' out in you guys' favor, finally, 'cause you finally met friends who you related to, people you trusted and stuff, before we even realized who those friends were. So, yeah. Havin' him around you? Havin' you around him? I think it'll be good for you both."

Noctis chewed his lip nervously. "Cool," he answered calmly, trying to act nonchalant.

Pausing for a beat, Gladio tugged his hair out of the ponytail he'd had it in and ran his hands through it. "That can't be the only reason you were askin', Noct. I've known you since you were in diapers, and you're never conscientious like that."

Yeah. Gladio was right. His motives went a little bit beyond that simple concern. In fact, wondering whether it was a good move wasn't _too_ much of a concern. He trusted Prompto a scary amount for someone who'd just breezed into his life and become such an important fixture so quickly. Trust wasn't really an issue. However, he found himself endlessly curious for more information about Prompto.

There were, of course, plenty of things he already knew; Prompto's love for music, photography, chocobos, and the Lethal Force movies, his secret love of romantic comedies, his red hair… so, yeah. He knew a few things. Still, as roommates, he needed to learn more. Did Prompto have any pet peeves? Did he have anything he absolutely couldn't stand?

What about things he loved Noctis didn't know about? Something Noctis could use to surprise him, to make him feel as special as he deserved to feel?

"I mean… I'm just curious about what kinda stuff he, y'know… likes. I know he likes chocobos and music and what movies he likes. But other stuff. Favorite foods and places he likes to go. What his favorite color is. I just… wanna know more, so I can make him feel comfortable."

Gladio grinned a wry and wild grin as he ticked his shoulder up in a shrug. "Can't imagine him feelin' any more comfortable with you than he already does, if he's movin' in with you, but… you honestly don't need to do much. Prom's a pretty simple guy. Likes to hole up with movies and everything, just like you."

With a sigh, Noctis rolled his eyes and headed toward the door of Prompto's room. "I mean, yeah. I imagine that'll probably happen a lot," he admitted. "But I kinda wanna do something _for_ him, y'know? Not just like… movies and stuff we can do any time. He likes chocobos. Maybe I could take him to the chocobo ranch, or maybe we could go to Weskham's restaurant or something instead. Something so I can make sure he knows how much I appreciate having him around."

"Chocobo Post would pretty much send him over the moon," Gladio answered with a huff of a laugh. "Cor's taken him there before, but he doesn't get to go places like that much anymore, because he works. Prompto and Cor both work, actually."

Noctis arched an eyebrow. "I have noticed Prom works a lot," he agreed.

The expression on Gladio's face was one Noctis had actually seen before, and he fully realized it didn't mean good things. Whenever Gladio had opinions about something he was trying to keep to himself, he narrowed his eyes, tightened his lips, and looked at the ground. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his sweatpants as he walked down the hall to the living room, and Noctis could see the words right on the tip of his tongue. Some kind of explanation. Something that Noctis wasn't likely to like.

Fortunately, as always, Noctis didn't have to pry, because Gladio was always willing to speak his mind. "Iris works with him, and I'm tryin' to get them both to quit," he explained, "'cause their boss is a real piece of work. Izunia's always had this weird fascination with makin' Prom as miserable as possible. Puts him in the Kenny uniform, even though he outranks that and if anyone, it should be Iris wearin' it, since she's the junior employee. Prompto pretty much manages the place when he isn't around."

Noctis made a face. "He's mentioned he's had to wear the costume," he told Gladio.

"Yeah. We keep tryin' to tell him to leave that place, y'know? Get work playin' music at one of the bars around town, or start doin' a musician for hire thing, but he won't. Says he's worried about steady income. Don't think he realizes he's good enough to make steady income in a job like that."

Plus, Noctis reasoned, his anxiety probably slowed him down quite a bit. He remembered Prompto mentioning it was hard for him to even play in the park like he did, and that crowd was small. He opted not to mention that for the time being, though. He was sure Gladio had at least an inkling of what Prompto was dealing with, but that didn't mean they had to talk about it. Noctis wouldn't have wanted people talking about _his_ issues behind his back, so he could only assume that Prompto felt the same way.

Gladio shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe you can help us, hm? Talk to him after one of his bad days, since Izunia runnin' the place they're pretty much inevitable, and see if you can get him to look for another job," he suggested.

Noctis genuinely had no idea where Gladio got the idea Prompto would listen to _him_. Especially not if the people who knew Prompto _better_ had been trying for years to convince him, and hadn't gotten through. That didn't mean Noctis wouldn't try. If he had the chance, anyway. "Yeah, I can try." There was no secret in his tone, how unsure he was it would work, but Prompto was worth the effort.

"Good," Gladio nodded, then reached into his pocket for his phone. "'Nea just texted. Says they're on the way up the elevator and they ran into Iggy and Ravus on the way back from Lib's restaurant, and Ravus pretty much invited them up."

That managed to bring a laugh from Noctis' throat. Of course he had. Scratching a hand through his messy hair, he leaned back against the island counter that separated the living room and the kitchen. "Not surprised. You know how they are. It's only a matter of time before Specs came up to see how well me and Prompto got along," he mused. "Better sooner than later, I guess. At the very least, this way I had warning."

Snorting a laugh, Gladio nodded his head. "Pragmatic," he mused as he moved to the kitchen and started pulling cups and plates down from Noctis' cupboards. That probably should've been Noctis' job—and the unimpressed look Gladio gave him told him that beyond a shadow of doubt—but it was too late now.

Noctis just deflected the look with a shrug, and moved toward the fridge to grab drinks. As tempting as it was to offer everyone booze, Ignis would probably get really mad at Noctis. He wasn't supposed to drink close to the time he had to take his medication, so they were limited to water, juice, Ebony, or soda. He knew exactly which of those each of his friends would prefer. The only reason Noctis even _kept_ Ebony in his fridge was for Ignis and Ravus, so he gathered two cans and set them on the counter, side by side. Aranea and Gladio would each want water, so he pulled two bottles of water from the far back. Prompto got green apple Jetty's, Noctis got blue raspberry Jetty's.

As soon as Noctis returned with the sodas, he chuckled softly when he realized Gladio had already taken his water and drank half of it. It made sense, really. They'd worked their asses off getting Prompto's stuff out of the moving truck.

A rhythmic knock echoed out through the apartment, and Noctis walked over to answer the door while Gladio set plates and silverware down on the table in stacks. As soon as he got close, though, he heard muffled voices—specifically Prompto and Aranea's voices—on the other side of the door.

"Why're you knocking? You live here now, Prom."

Laughing awkwardly, Prompto shrugged a shoulder. "R-right. I have a key. Um, can one of you guys take this?"

Ravus chuckled a fond note—something Noctis wasn't used to hearing directed at _anyone_ other than Ignis—and answered, "I've got it, Prompto. Just unlock the door. Gladiolus and Noctis are likely still quite busy."

There were two courses of action that he could take. One was to open the door and embarrass Prompto _twice_ as thoroughly as their friends already seemed to have done. The other—and the one he chose—was to back away from the door and head toward the center of the room, acting like he hadn't heard anything at all. Even with the way Gladio was looking at him, head cocked and eyebrow arched, Noctis didn't regret his choice.

The doorknob turned, the door opened, and the promenade of four friends entered the apartment. Prompto entered first, glancing from Noctis, to Gladio, and then back to Noctis as a dusting of beet red covered his face. "Uh... sorry about the whole 'knocking' thing. I forgot I had a key," he murmured quietly, putting the key back into his pocket.

Noctis shrugged, watching as Aranea and Ravus—both carrying two massive take-out bags—entered the apartment, followed by Ignis who was carrying the final small box they'd left in the moving truck. The plan, Noctis knew, was for Aranea and Gladio to use the same truck to move Aranea's things into Gladio's apartment. That was going to be another giant ordeal, but Noctis and Prompto had agreed to help them in exchange for their help today.

Prompto took the box from Ignis' hands, and then dashed down the hall with a declaration of, "be back in a second! Don't wait for me, okay?"

With a smirk, Noctis watched as Aranea and Ravus set the two bags of food down on the counter, and Ignis, without provocation or even request, started divvying them out between everyone. Even in someone else's apartment, Ignis was always the one who did stuff like that. He split the drinks up, brought them around the room to each of his friends, and then turned his head down the hall toward Prompto's room.

"Be right back," Noctis told everyone simply, gathering the bottle of green apple Jetty's and heading toward Prompto's room.

Noctis was pretty sure he heard Aranea and Gladio whispering a comment under their breath about impatience and eagerness and a third part he couldn't quite hear, and then snickering to each other afterward, but he ignored them. Instead, he paused in front of Prompto's door, to see Prompto digging through the box he'd just brought into the room.

Clearing his throat and knocking on the door frame to announce his presence, Noctis leaned sideways against it and asked, "looking for something?"

Prompto turned his head, glancing at Noctis and nodding. "Yeah. My camera. It's in one of these boxes, and I wanna get some shots of everyone since they're all here together, y'know?" he asked.

"Need some help?" Noctis asked, setting each of the sodas on top of Prompto's dresser and stepping a couple of steps toward his friend.

Nodding eagerly in reply, Prompto tossed a couple of photo albums onto his bed. "Yeah, sure. It's a green LOKTON case with a whole bunch of chocobo stickers on it, and my name engraved in silver," he explained, then paused and laughed a soft note. "The, uh... the chocobo stickers were something I did when I was a teenager-"

Shrugging one shoulder as he crouched down and dug into a box, Noctis smirked. "Or, they could be just 'cause you like chocobos. The same way I still keep my stuffed Carbuncle from when I was a kid. Nothin' wrong with that," he told Prompto, moving some clothes to the side, and digging through what looked to be nothing but a pile of wires.

Prompto laughed. "Okay, that's fair," he mused. "Especially since the whole teenager part was a lie. I totally put those stickers on like half a year ago, when Iris bought 'em for me."

"Sounds like an Iris thing to do," Noctis answered with a wry grin.

The first box he looked through was empty, so he moved on to another and started digging through it. This one had a whole bunch of music stuff—what looked like a saxophone cleaning kit and a whole box of replacement guitar strings—as well as books and books of sheet music. Noctis couldn't help his curiosity as he looked through them, nor could he help the smirk that crossed his face as he looked at the titles. A whole bunch of Panic at the Disco songs, and one that was still wrapped in plastic, completely untouched: the acoustic version of Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance. There was a label on top that told him Prompto had bought this a week ago, and it made his cheeks heat up just a little bit.

Something in the pit of Noctis' stomach told him he wasn't supposed to see that yet, though, so he just put it in the middle of the sheet music books and pretended he hadn't snooped. As soon as he looked back at the box, he spotted the camera case. "Found it," he told Prompto, setting the pile of sheet music off to the side and dragging the green case out of the box.

Just as Prompto said, apart from where his name was engraved on top, the whole case was smattered in chocobo stickers. Most of them were typical chocobo poses. Running, sitting, flying. Several of them were far cuter than that, though... and very typical of a gift from Iris. The best one, in Noctis' eyes, was the one of the chocobo with smiling eyes, and hearts surrounding its head. Noctis couldn't help but smile a little bit wider as he nudged Prompto with his shoulder.

"Cute," Noctis reassured him.

Prompto laughed an awkward note, and set the camera case on his bed, unlocking the numerical lock and opening it. "I can tell you're laughing inside, though," he pointed out.

With a shrug, Noctis moved back toward the dresser and picked their two drinks up. "Even if I am, I still think it's cute."

Smiling shyly but not looking up from the camera, Prompto shrugged his head to the side and started changing settings on his camera. Then, without warning and with a devilish smile, he lifted his camera and snapped a picture of Noctis as he turned around.

"Hey!"

Prompto pointed at the camera. "Revenge for laughing on the inside," he insisted with a sage nod.

Admittedly, Noctis _still_ wasn't a fan of surprise pictures. It was still worth it, though. As long as the picture wasn't bad. He took a couple of steps toward Prompto, pointing at the camera. "Can I at least see it?"

Nodding, Prompto turned the camera's toward him and beamed. "I think it's a pretty good one, actually. Caught you when you weren't put together but you still look great," he mused.

Great? Noctis couldn't complain about the picture itself, but he definitely didn't think he looked _great_ in it. He looked okay. The track pants and tank top that he used whenever he had to do manual labor like this were both black and his arms were pale as hell, and the contrast was a little bit unsettling. His hair hung down in his face a little bit awkwardly, too, and Noctis had to wonder if that was what he'd looked like when they went to the movies the other night. He had a goofy smirk on his face—the internal laughter Prompto had been talking about—and honestly he was pretty sure he was a mess. Somehow, Prompto thought he looked great, though.

Still, the lighting, and the way the camera was angled so that it caught Noctis' better side? The way Prompto had instinctively found both of those things without even trying? _That_ was great. He was definitely a talented photographer.

"You're good at finding the right light," Noctis mused, instead of commenting on his own appearance.

Prompto shrugged and chuckled awkwardly. "Took me a long time to get to this point, though. You should see some of the shots I took when I first started," he huffed, and then glanced back toward the bed, and toward the album that Noctis had set there. "I think some of 'em are in this album, actually, if you wanna look."

Curiosity was definitely difficult to fight, and Noctis moved toward the bed, sitting down and picking the photo album up without another word. A part of him was surprised at the show of trust. Prompto had told him a lot of things that he said he didn't tell other people; things about his past. Noctis didn't suspect that he'd find anything _too_ surprising in the album. So, he flipped the first page open and started looking at some of the photos.

There were photos of _everything_ , too. Lots of shots of random animals he'd encountered. Cats, dogs, a whole bunch of farm animals, like he'd gone to a farm at some point and stopped to take shots of everything he passed. There were whole pages dedicated to pictures of chocobos, too. Noctis was pretty sure some of them were at Wiz's Chocobo Post. Noctis couldn't help but smile to himself as the shots of chocobos changed to shots of Cor and Gentiana. Some were individual, some were of them together. There were others, too, of Prompto _with_ his parents. Happy. Smiling. Redheaded and chubby, with glasses and braces just like he'd told Noctis he had.

"Cute," Noctis said simply.

Prompto glanced at the page, eyes wide in horror and cheeks flushing bright red. "Uh... that... I didn't know that was in there," he admitted, stammering over almost every word in the sentence. "Thought I kept all those in a different album."

With a shrug, Noctis turned to look at him. "I think you were pretty adorable, honestly. And I'd've definitely been your friend," he replied, no sign of uncertainty in his tone.

Though Prompto didn't reply with words, the smile on his face said more than words could have, anyway. Instead of speaking, or even stopping Noctis from flipping through the photo album, Prompto kept his eyes on his camera, scrolling through his stored pictures.

"You can really see the difference in some of these, too. Like, how you grew into your talent," Noctis mused as he closed the album and crossed his arms over the front cover. "The older ones were the natural type of talent, you know? The untrained kind, where you just kind of go with your gut and it still comes out okay. The more recent ones, though? You can see how hard you worked to get where you are. Finding the right lighting, color filters, all that stuff. You're good."

This time, Prompto did reply with words. He turned his head and met Noctis' eye, smiling sincerely. "Thanks," he answered. "It definitely took a lot of trial and error, y'know? And I went through periods when I would _only_ take pictures the new and shiny way I'd just learned to, too." He laughed softly at his own expense. "But I've definitely made progress. Still learning new stuff every day, too. And finding new things I like. Like, right now I'm super into vintage tones," he explained.

As Prompto explained little things that he'd learned about photography recently and over the years, Noctis listened as closely as he could with that distracting excited glimmer in Prompto's eye demanding his attention. Prompto lifted his camera again, showing Noctis a couple of settings and what they did, and then lowered it and flipped through a couple of pictures, until he came across a panoramic shot of Galdin Quay with a vintage filter making it look about three decades old.

"This is one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken," Prompto explained. "I took it about three years ago and I still can't bring myself to take it off my SD card. I love the ocean glimmers in the brightening filter. Looks almost like the ocean is shooting light toward the sky. The only way it could be any better is if it was at sunset or sunrise or something. Don't you think?"

Noctis glanced at the camera, and smiled. "I think it's perfect the way it is, though. Like you said, it looks like the ocean is shooting the light out toward the sky, and I think that's amazing. I'm surprised you don't freelance. You're good enough," he pointed out.

Shrugging, Prompto shook his head. "I love taking pictures just as much as I love music, but freelancing is a really tough market. Competitive. Plus, I'd have to travel around a lot, and I don't really... it's not that I don't _like_ traveling around... I do. But I don't wanna travel alone. Y'know? Anxiety, especially when it comes to being in a place where I don't know anyone. It's manageable now, but... going to places like Altissia or Galdin or Niflheim on my own is just asking for an anxiety attack."

On the tip of Noctis' tongue was an offer to travel with Prompto, to take some of the anxiety away or at least make it easier to deal with. Behind that offer was the insistence he was talented enough to make it work and he shouldn't waste his talents in either music _or_ photography. He didn't want to be too pushy, though. Besides, what good would it do? Evidently, Gladio and everyone else had been trying for years to convince him, and he'd never responded. Noctis couldn't really hope to have any effect on his first try. So, he just nodded and shrugged, and then turned to glance at Prompto.

"I see how that would make it hard," Noctis answered. "But I think you should think about it. I bet there's someone who'd go with you. Someone who could make the whole thing easier."

Prompto hummed to himself. It wasn't a hum of agreement; more like just an acknowledgment and understanding. "Maybe someday. For now, I'm okay where I am, though. Especially now that I'm living here." He paused, then added, "you're _sure_ your dad's okay with this? Me living here and stuff?"

"Yeah!" Noctis answered eagerly. "I guess your dad told him the day after you toured the place, the day after we went to the movies. He kept telling me he wanted to move you in himself to make it happen faster."

Prompto laughed.

Noctis shook his head. "No, I'm not kidding! I had to beg him not to, and tell him we had it under control. And he _still_ wanted to," he mused with a grin. "So, yeah. He's definitely okay with it. Think he'd've been more upset if we suddenly decided _not_ to go through with it, honestly."

Laughing, Prompto flopped back onto his mattress and looked up at the ceiling. "I know I said it already when you showed me around, but this is a really nice place," he told Noctis. "It's hard to explain, but... even before I moved in? I felt comfortable here. I never really felt at _home_ in my old place, you know? Like, yeah. It was home and Aranea was an awesome roommate and everything, but..." He paused and shrugged. "Even before she and Gladio got engaged, it always felt like that was just an apartment. Like we both wanted to be somewhere else. And now we will..."

"Plus, you'll be within walking distance of her to hang out whenever either of you want to," Noctis pointed out instead.

A glance at Prompto's face showed the most serene and honest smile Noctis had ever seen. He looked tired, which made sense because they'd _both_ spent the whole day moving all of his things from the old apartment to here, but he looked satisfied at the same time. He turned his head, looking at Noctis with that same smile on his face, and then laughed. "Yeah. And if you don't think you'll be seeing her all the time, you're sorely mistaken. She'll probably check in once a week, at the least."

Noctis chuckled softly. "What about her, though? Was she okay with this?" he asked, instinctively leaning back next to Prompto in his bed.

Nodding vehemently, Prompto turned his head and glanced at Noctis. "Not only was she psyched to finally get to move in with Gladio, but she said she'd been trying to tell me for months she knew someone I'd get along with." He chuckled softly, awkwardly. "Guess it wouldn't kill me to listen to her once in awhile."

"How about the room?" Noctis asked. "I know your stuff's not settled in, but-"

Prompto laughed. "You kidding me?" he asked. "My room's like... twice the size of my room in my old apartment. I might actually be able to bring my baby grand piano from my dad's storage unit and put it in here. Get some practice on something other than my old keyboard." As he spoke, he propped himself up on his elbows again and looked around the room. Noctis could see the analysis in his eyes, like he was trying to see if there was enough space.

Even if there wasn't... "you can put it in the dining room," Noctis suggested. "The dining table's small, and I don't mind listening to you practice."

"Wait. Really? 'Cause I practice the piano a lot more than I practice the guitar and stuff, so... it'd probably get annoying."

Noctis shook his head. "It wouldn't. Like, I know I've only heard you sing once, but you're really good. So, I wouldn't mind. I'd like it, actually. I think."

The pair of them shared a silent smile, and Noctis felt his heart beating a little bit faster in his chest. There were still a lot of unanswered questions as to what they were to each other. Obviously, they were roommates. Even _more_ obviously, they were friends. Beyond that, though, how did he explain it? They were just friends who'd had sex, who just so happened to live together. The sex thing was past tense. Just because it had happened… twice, didn't mean that it was going to happen again. Right?

Except, Prompto was looking at him with a familiar smile on his face, and a familiar look in his eyes. It was _close_ to the flirty look he gave before they fooled around, but it wasn't quite that. It was closer to that soft, warm smile he gave every time Noctis took him off guard and said something he didn't expect. No, he didn't know what the look meant... but he liked it.

Prompto opened his mouth to talk, but Noctis didn't get a chance to hear what he was planning to say. Instead of his voice, there was a loud and rhythmic knock on the wall inside the room. Noctis jumped a little bit and turned toward the sound, blinking at Aranea as she looked from Noctis to Prompto with a smug grin on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt your flirt-fest, kids, but if you don't get back into the living room, there's gonna be no food left. Gladio's hungry, and you know how he gets when he needs food."

This time, Prompto _did_ speak up. "We weren't flirting!" he insisted, as he sat up on the bed. "We were talking about putting my piano in the apartment somewhere! Which probably means we'll need you and the Big Guy to help us move it." As he scooched to the edge of the bed, stood up, and walked toward Aranea, he eagerly explained that Noctis had said having the piano in the living room was okay.

Noctis sat on the bed, trying to get his head on straight and figure out the answers to the questions he'd asked himself about his friendship with Prompto. They were friends, they'd had sex, they were roommates. Would Noctis be _open_ to more than that? Did Prompto even _want_ more than that? What if he didn't, and he brought someone else home? Would Noctis be okay with _that_?

"Hey, Noct, you coming? 'Nea was right. I can see Gladio chowing down from here," Prompto joked from the doorway.

It was funny, and sort of scary, how much easier it was to smile with Prompto around. Just seeing his friend's smile chased the questions from his mind in an instant. There was really no need to think about any of that right then. It would all work itself out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I a tease? Maybe. :3
> 
> You love me anyway, right? XP


	9. Near To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _near to you, i am healing but it is taking so long,_  
>  _'cause though he's gone and you are wonderful, it's hard to move on._  
>  _yeah, i'm better near to you..._  
> [near to you](https://open.spotify.com/track/7BNWtMbwnx7A2cbKVG7lhe?si=NiORsjHMTmu7g44rbN5S8Q) ;; a fine frenzy  
>  [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQAthi6020E) ]

It should have said a lot to Noctis, the way he and Prompto seemed to effortlessly settle into being roommates. Prompto worked most days while Noctis was at class, and came home with dinner. Some nights he'd bring something he'd asked the Crow's Nest cook to whip up, but other nights he'd come back with things like pizza, Nifilian food or Galahdan food. Then, as they ate, they would veg out on the couch, and watch TV or movies or whatever, until Noctis had to do his schoolwork. Sometimes, Noctis would even draw at the dining room table while Prompto practiced his piano.

As new as this version of normal was, it was easy to settle into. Prompto did a lot of cleaning on his days off, which definitely pleased Ignis when he came to visit. Even Noctis, as much as he hated it, would take a few minutes and help with some of the cleaning. Mostly because Prompto worked hard, and his days off should have been _his_ days.

There were also their nights.

They didn't have sex _every_ night. Not even close. In the three weeks Prompto had been living with him, they'd definitely spent at _least_ five or six nights in one another's bed. It wasn't _intentional_. Not completely, anyway. On the nights when they sat on the couch together, watching movies, sometimes the movie would show something that got one of them wound up. Sometimes, they just needed to fuck, or touch each other, or mess around _somehow_. Some nights Prompto initiated it. Some nights Noctis initiated it. Some nights, Noctis wasn't even sure _who_ initiated it, it just happened.

Admittedly, those were Noctis' favorite nights of all; nights when they fell into bed together, had sex, and fell asleep together.

However, walking through the grocery store with a cart full of food Prompto was choosing was _not_ the time to be thinking of that. Or else he’d have to deal with those thoughts racing through his mind the whole ride home. Prompto stood on the end of the shopping cart as Noctis pushed it down the aisle, and he used his left foot as a braking technique, every time they came to something he wanted to buy. So far, it looked like there was no rhyme or reason to anything in the cart, though.

Apparently, Prompto wanted to try to learn to cook. He'd told Noctis he knew how to cook simple things, like pasta and rice, but he wanted to learn a little bit more and Ignis had agreed to teach him if he found the dishes he wanted to try. The first thing Prompto said Ignis was going to try and teach him was a haddock curry dish.

So, Prompto bought the fish, some vegetables—all of which made Noctis physically cringe—and seasonings and whatever else. Half of the things on the list were in Ignis' handwriting. The rest, though, were in Prompto's. The things they'd decided on together; junk food, like potato chips and frozen fries and chickatrice tenders. They made a stop at the soda aisle, too, and took almost a half hour deciding what kind of deli meats to pick. All they had left on the list were the last few things for the curry Ignis was going to help Prompto cook.

Honestly, if Prompto learned to cook like Ignis, Noctis was pretty sure he'd be the happiest roommate in the world. He was already pretty satisfied when Prompto brought takeout home, but not having to place orders and just being able to eat something fresh and warm? That was pretty appealing, too.

Maybe, Noctis realized, he should have learned how to cook a little bit himself. There was no way it wouldn't end up disastrous if he tried. So, for now, he just decided to let Prompto learn, and reap the benefits of it.

"Dude, I really want to buy some of those bacon wrapped gigantoad steak tips back there. Do you think we should double back?" Prompto asked, snapping Noctis out of his thought process.

Noctis glanced up, craning his neck to catch Prompto's eye where he towered over Noctis, watching him curiously. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, toward the other end of the aisle and the freezers, Noctis hummed to himself and ticked his shoulder up in a shrug. "Pretty sure we'd have to fight Umbra for 'em, though. Umbra's pretty obsessed with both bacon and gigantoad steak," he mused, as he tried carefully to turn the cart around and not smack Prompto into the shelves on the other side.

With a chuckle and a shrug, Prompto pressed himself close to the cart in order to miss hitting a display when Noctis turned him around. "Let's be real," he pointed out, "the way we both spoil that dog, he'll totally be getting at least one from each of us. Plus some of the fries or whatever else we have with it." He turned back around on the cart, so he was facing out toward the rest of the store, but glanced over his shoulder at Noctis. "He deserves it, anyway."

Laughing a soft and amused note, Noctis nodded. "He really does," he agreed.

As they exited the canned vegetable aisle, they garnered a few stares. At first, it seemed like Prompto was going to ignore them, like he was going to stay where he stood on the cart, not let the piercing eyes bother him. After a few seconds passed, his anxiety got the better of him, though. He halted Noctis for long enough to allow him to step down and move around the cart. Red dusted his cheeks, and he completely ignored the next couple of displays as they passed them, like the realization was hitting him that people had probably been looking at him the whole time.

"Hey," Noctis murmured, bumping their shoulders together, trying to jar Prompto out of his own head. "Who cares what they think? You were having fun, right?"

At first, all Prompto did was shrug his head to the side. A couple of seconds later, though, he finally nodded and looked at the front of the cart. "I mean, yeah. Always have fun when we hang out," he pointed out.

Noctis nodded his head. "Exactly. So, let 'em stare. It's not against the law to stand on the front of a shopping cart, and it's not like you were hurting anyone. Made it a lot easier for you to grab things as we passed by 'em, too. Didn't have to stop me every time, or walk away. They're prob'ly just jealous 'cause they never got cart rides like this," he encouraged Prompto with a wink.

That managed to elicit a laugh, and Prompto bit his lip, before glancing at the front of the cart and then back at Noctis. "M-maybe next time," he answered.

Instead of pushing the issue—because he knew what it could be like having an uncooperative mind—Noctis just nudged Prompto with his shoulder again and handed the cart over to him. "Well then," he said, an ever-widening grin spreading across his face as he moved around the cart himself, "it's time for some repayment, I think. You've had a free ride _all around the store_ , so I'm pretty sure it means you've gotta push me around for this last little bit, until we get to the checkout lane."

Without even waiting for an answer, Noctis stepped up onto the cart, keeping his head turned toward Prompto. This way, Prompto could still dictate the pace and stop whenever he saw something he wanted to buy, and if anyone was staring, it would be at _Noctis_ instead of Prompto. A glance Prompto's way showed a small, grateful smile creeping across his face as he turned down the frozen foods aisle. The same lady who'd made Prompto anxious, to begin with, was staring at them again, but Noctis didn't spare her a glance, just turned his eyes down into the cart and then reached a hand toward Prompto.

"Lemme see the list? I'll direct us and you drive me," Noctis grinned.

Prompto laughed a little bit and dug into his pants pocket for the small slip of paper he'd scribbled the list down on. "It's my chocobo scratch, though. Dunno if you'll be able to read it," he pointed out.

Sure enough, written in green pen were barely-legible letters, something that looked like a code from years long past. Noctis furrowed his brows and looked up at Prompto again, before breaking out in a teasing grin. "I swear, sometimes I wonder if even _you_ can understand what you're writing."

With a laugh, Prompto shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes yes, sometimes no," he snickered. "When it's something important, I actually take a little bit more time. Stuff like this, though? When I didn't think the handwriting police were gonna be judging my every written word?" He paused, chuckled, then gathered the frozen bacon covered steaks and put them into the cart. "Didn't even bother giving it a second thought."

Noctis chuckled and looked down at the list. "Well, I _think_ the next thing on the list is cereal. Unless that's supposed to say surreal and I'm just not as educated with decoding your handwriting as I thought." He peered up at Prompto from under his lashes and then looked back down at the list.

"Okay, first of all? Shut up. Second of all, why would I put the word surreal on a grocery list?" Prompto asked as he turned the cart toward the cereal aisle.

Shrugging dramatically with both his shoulders and his lower lip, Noctis put the list in his pocket and leaned forward over the groceries in the cart. "Beats me, Prom. You're the chocobo scratch mastermind, not m-"

There was more to his teasing. Really, there was. Though, it was probably more flirtatious than actually teasing. However, as he stood back up straight and looked at the rest of the grocery store patrons over Prompto's shoulder, all of the playful attitude completely and totally drained out of him. 

Standing there, completely innocently, like his very _presence_ wasn't throwing the comfort Noctis had fallen into completely on its head, was Loqi.

A rational person would have just continued on; a rational person wouldn't have given Loqi the time of day in this situation, beyond a passing glance and a forceful push out of his mind. At this point, though, it had a little bit over three months since Noctis had even seen Loqi. Part of him sort of hoped Loqi would look terrible. That the guilt of cheating on Noctis and ruining what they'd had would have completely destroyed him. It wasn't how he liked to think. In fact, he felt pretty guilty for even letting the thought cross his mind. He hoped Loqi had at least a partial taste of what he'd put Noctis through.

It didn't look like he had though. In fact, he looked exactly the same. Happy. Confident. Maybe even a little bit _cocky_ as he looked at Noctis from across the front of the store. His eyebrow was raised in a knowing quirk, and his mouth was curled up in a grin.

Noctis knew, deep down, it was only a matter of time before he saw Loqi again. Insomnia was a pretty big city, sure, but it was still just one city, and he knew he and Loqi still frequented a lot of the same places. He couldn't just expect Loqi to stop going to this grocery store because it was the one closest to Noctis' apartment. Loqi wasn't the type to do that anyway.

Cementing the fact he was more or less completely okay was the tall, brown-haired man who strode up behind him, tapped him on the shoulder, and held a carton of ice cream out to him. Then, the man smiled at him, a smile Noctis recognized well. The type of smile Noctis was pretty sure _he_ always gave when he and Loqi were together. If that wasn't bad enough, the man leaned down and pressed a slow and lingering kiss to Loqi's cheek, then turned toward the checkout lane. Finally, Noctis forced himself to turn and look away.

"Noct?"

Prompto's voice dragged Noctis from his mind, startling him to the point of almost losing his balance on the shopping cart. He managed to stay balanced, if only just barely, but he had to hold on a little bit tighter and almost crashed the cart into a woman walking past them.

Quietly, Noctis murmured an apology to the woman, and then looked up at Prompto, who was looking at him with concern. "Um... sorry about that," he apologized to Prompto too.

Concern furrowed Prompto's brows together as he turned the corner into the cereal aisle. "It's okay," he reassured Noctis. "You zoned out, though. Everything okay?"

Internally, Noctis cursed the way he'd been completely and totally stunned by the sight of Loqi. Externally, though, he tried to keep his expression level, even as he bit his lip and kept his eyes turned down at the food in the cart. "Uh. Yeah. I just..." He trailed off. It would have been easy to lie to Prompto about this. He could have just... not said anything; not mentioned that he'd seen Loqi, and not mention that Loqi was here with another guy. What was the point of it, though? Prompto wasn't just an average friend. What was Prompto going to do, judge him; make fun of him for being upset when he knew exactly why he was so shaken?

No. Prompto had earned honesty, and it wasn't even like it was that big of a deal. "I, um... saw Loqi," he explained, grabbing a box of Apple Jacks from the shelf as they passed.

Prompto stopped and glanced over his shoulder, like he would see Loqi coming up behind them. "Wait. Your ex?" he asked in surprise. "Here? Like... in the store here?"

Noctis mumbled in affirmation. "It's not… it isn't a huge deal or anything, you know? Everyone sees their exes once in a while. I just... wasn't expecting it. Totally unrealistic when you get down to it, because I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like, move out of town because we broke up. Just... took me off guard."

"I bet," Prompto agreed, turning to look back at Noctis.

It was stupid. There was absolutely no reason for the sight of Loqi to put a damper on what had otherwise been a fun grocery shopping trip, especially after three months. Noctis was over it. He really was. It wasn't like he was still holding a secret candle of feelings for Loqi, or like he was desperately wishing they'd get back together. So, there was no reason for this to feel like such a smack in the face. He really didn't even get why it _did_.

Prompto was quiet, and he grabbed a box of Frosted Flakes from the shelf, putting it in the cart before he turned to Noctis again. "Are you okay?"

A loaded question. A really loaded question, and Noctis wished it _wasn't_. He wanted to tell Prompto he was fine. That it _wasn't_ irrationally hurting him. But, once again, he remembered how pointless it was to lie to Prompto, so he shrugged and shook his head no, stepping down from the cart, opting to walk next to Prompto for the rest of the trip. The fun of riding there was completely drained away now.

"I mean..." Noctis paused and sighed, huffing a note of humorless laughter. "Yeah? But also no. It's not like I'm secretly pining for him or anything. It's not like I'm tempted to run over there and stop him, beg him to take me back, and cry because he broke my heart. I'm over it." It wasn't even a lie this time. "I'm just... shaken, I guess. It brought back the way I felt on the day Gladio told me what he saw, and I'm bummed, and I don't really know why."

With a hum and a shrug, Prompto murmured, "I mean, you were with him for a super long time, Noct. And he hurt you pretty bad, yeah? I'd be more worried if you weren't shaken. Had you seen him before now? Since you broke up, I mean?" he asked.

There was something a little bit weird in Prompto's tone right then. Something hard for Noctis to identify. It wasn't sadness or anger, but it _definitely_ wasn't a good feeling either. A small ping in the back of his mind wondered if maybe it was jealousy, but that wasn't possible. What reason did _Prompto_ have to be jealous of _Loqi_ for? Especially in this context?

Noctis shook his grunted in uncertainty, and glanced down at the end of the aisle like he expected Loqi to show up there. Fortunately, he was proven wrong. He huffed and said, "nah, I hadn't. I figure that has something to do with it, too. Plus, he was with some guy, and I couldn't help but wonder, like an idiot, if he was one of the guys that Loqi cheated with." He shook his head in annoyance at his own expense.

Prompto frowned gently, nudging Noctis with his shoulder. "Who cares if it was? Whoever they were, they're not as awesome as you."

"Prom..." Noctis laughed humorlessly.

Prompto shook his head and let a tiny smile spread across his face. "I'm serious, though! Whoever that guy is? Not even close to as awesome as you are. Like, yeah, he's with your ex. But so what? From what you told me? Your ex is a _nightmare_ , dude. Cheated on you. Took advantage of how you'd probably have laid down in freaking traffic for him. Never appreciated you. Never really seemed to understand you and how awesome, smart, and fun you are. So, who cares who he is? And who cares if he's saddled with Loqi? You're doing great now, right? That's what's important."

Much to Noctis' own surprise, the words managed to pull his frown to a small grin. "Thanks, Prom."

"Don't need to thank me, dude. Just... don't beat yourself up, okay? You can't expect to see him like this and _not_ feel a little bit messed up. You're not made of stone and you're not like, an emotionless robot."

Noctis laughed a humorless note. "Not even a little bit," he answered.

With a nod, Prompto mused, "exactly. So, c'mon. Let's just pay for this stuff and go back to the apartment. I might call and postpone until tomorrow with Iggy, so we can get some pizza or sushi and play some video games. You owe me a Mortal Kombat rematch, and this time I'm _not_ gonna lose."

It was pretty obvious what Prompto was trying to do. Noctis knew he was looking forward to these cooking lessons with Ignis for at least a week, and schedules hadn't exactly matched up. There was no way he'd so casually postpone it again. Unless, of course, getting just a passing glance at Loqi turned Noctis into such a sad sack Prompto felt like he had to go out of his way to reverse the damage.

"You don't have to cancel, if you don't want to, Prom. I'm okay," Noctis insisted, smiling a little bit in spite of the offer. It was nice of him to even offer.

Prompto shrugged a shoulder and then nudged Noctis with it. "I know I don't _have_ to, but I'm gonna. I'm not feeling like curry tonight." He paused quickly, then doubled back and looked at Noctis curiously. "Unless you really had your heart set on it," he added. "Then we can do curry and-"

If it hadn't already been obvious he was trying to cheer Noctis up, that would have done it. It made Noctis chuckle and shake his head. "I don't have my heart set on curry tonight," Noctis insisted. "We can do sushi. If you _really_ insist on doing this, anyway," he added.

"M'not doin' anything," Prompto muttered as they pulled into the checkout lane.

Even as he spoke, though, Noctis could see him scanning the whole front end of the store, checking to see if Loqi was still there. A difficult task, especially when he definitely didn't know what Loqi looked like, but it was a sweet thought all the same. Noctis sighed to himself and followed his gaze, glancing out across the line of registers as Prompto started putting their groceries up on the conveyor belt. He shouldn't have been curious. He should have been fine with just letting it go, especially since Prompto—just by being Prompto—had already lifted his spirits more than he ever could have imagined. Curiosity was getting the better of him, though.

Prompto broke the silence of their search by asking, "they still here?"

"Don't think so," Noctis answered. "Must've missed 'em." At least, if luck was on his side at all, they had.

Unfortunately, as luck often did, it opted to turn its back on Noctis. Casually strolling across the very front of the store, Loqi stopped in front of their checkout lane and waved casually. Like they were a pair of old friends, or casual acquaintances; not a pair of exes who had gone through a bitter breakup. Noctis froze up, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Prompto turning to follow where Noctis' gaze went. It was only a passing glance, but Noctis was pretty sure Prompto had seen him.

At least, if the way he paused, turned to Noctis, and asked, "that him?" was any indication.

Noctis mumbled an affirmative answer. He sighed, shook the bad feelings off, and focused his attention on unloading the groceries instead. "I'll tell you more later, okay?"

It wasn't like there was much to tell, honestly. Noctis had his heart broken. There were hundreds of movies, millions of songs, about that exact thing. Just another story about an ex cheating, which sucked, but it happened. It was pretty normal. It was really, really stupid to be so upset about it so many months later. In movies, on TV, if something like this happened, the heartbreak victim always had a moment of epiphany by then, didn't they? Noctis sort of _thought_ he'd had his epiphany the day he met Prompto and his life started getting back on track. In reality, he guessed, it wasn't that simple.

The rest of the grocery trip went on autopilot. Noctis and Prompto split the cost of the groceries, and then they went out to the parking lot and offloaded them all into Noctis' car. They settled into the car, and the silence continued for almost a solid two minutes as they left the massive grocery store parking lot and got back on the road to go home.

Noctis expected Prompto to be the one to break the silence, if only because his friend's eyes were etched with curiosity and questions he seemed to desperately want to ask. He stayed quiet the whole time, tapping his foot along with the radio and linking his hands in his lap. He was waiting. Not rushing, not questioning anything... just waiting.

So, Noctis spoke up. "I don't love him anymore," he started.

Why Noctis had felt the need to open with that explanation was a mystery, but he had. It was true. Noctis didn't love Loqi anymore. "I don't really _miss_ him, either, y'know? I did at first, but I haven't. Not for a while now. I miss the idea of what I thought we were. I thought we were in it for the long haul. The real thing. I dated him for two years. I'd been flirting with him all through my senior year of high school, but he was older, and my dad didn't approve, so we only started really dating when I turned eighteen and moved out on my own. Specs and the Big Guy, even Luna and Crowe, all had reservations about him. Specs _hated_ him. Ravus tried to tell me he'd heard rumors about him around town. I wouldn't listen."

Noctis paused. "Or, well... that's not true. I listened. I actually listened and acknowledged it and everything. It was one of those stupid things where I thought I could be the one to make him change his ways, make him wanna stick with one person. I thought I could be the one he wanted enough to change. You know?" he huffed a humorless laugh.

With a soft hum of acknowledgment, Prompto smoothed a hand through his hair and murmured, "I've always sort of thought... if either person in the relationship _has_ to change something about themselves to make it work? It's prob'ly a sign it's not a good relationship to be in. Wanting to change is one thing. Wanting to be better. _Having_ to change? Having a habit or trait that's so bad that you _have_ to change it to be with someone? Totally different," he muttered.

"Ravus told me that, too," Noctis agreed with a humorless laugh. "I didn't care. I was dumb, and I wanted what I wanted. I wasn't going to listen to anyone telling me that I shouldn't have it."

Prompto chuckled softly. "Being in love blinds people sometimes," he mused in a soft tone, heaving a gentle sigh.

With a laugh of his own, Noctis nodded and rounded the block that led to their apartment. "Specs doesn't think I was in love," he mused with a shrug of his head. "Neither does my dad, actually. At first, I thought they were just saying that to try to get me away from Loqi, 'cause he had some pretty bad habits. Not paying the rent, apparently, and leaving my dad to have to pay it all was one of 'em. Cheating was another. But anyway. I used to think they were just telling me they didn't think I was in love to get me away from him, but I think, the more I think about it, they were right."

A quick glance Prompto's way showed his head tilted curiously, as he asked, "what makes you say that?" There was an odd expression on his face. One that Noctis couldn't quite pinpoint. Relief, maybe? Hope? Whatever it was, it was kind of nice. Cute, definitely.

It brought a small smile to Noctis' own face as he turned back to look at the road. "Like I said... I loved the idea of being in love. I look at Ravus and Iggy, who are totally head over heels for each other. And then the Gladio and Aranea, or Luna and Nyx, or Cindy and Crowe? They're all happy. Really happy. They feel _good_ when they think of the other. I didn't have that with Loqi," he explained.

"I always felt _bad_. I felt like I was doing everything wrong." As Noctis spoke, he chewed on his lip and shrugged. "Remember when I told you about the hair dye thing? Stuff like that."

Even though he wasn't looking at Prompto, Noctis could almost imagine his facial expression. Brows furrowed, lips a straight line, eyes a little bit annoyed. "Sounds like a real jerk, to be honest. And you're about a thousand times better off without him," Prompto told Noctis, softness completely drained from his tone, replaced with a hard, annoyed edge.

It wasn't exactly related to Noctis' point at the moment, but it was okay. He shrugged a shoulder. "Now, I look at that and compare it to all our friends and their relationships and I ask myself... was I in love with him, or was I just determined not to be wrong? And comfortable where I was, not wanting to have to start fresh? It's dumb, probably, but I... I think that feels a little closer to the truth. And I definitely don't think he was ever really in love with me," Noctis admitted, embarrassed.

Prompto was quiet for a couple of seconds, then asked, "how do you know?"

Shrugging, Noctis explained, "I don't. Don't think I ever will, honestly. But he never really made any secret of how he only really liked things being easy. You know?" He pulled into the parking garage by the apartment, cut the engine, and turned to look at Prompto finally. "Loqi only _did_ things when they were easy, actually. Work. Friendships. Dating. Sex. The second there was any sign of turbulence, or struggle, or hardship, he was out. Whenever I had bad stretches with depression?" A confession in and of itself, because it was something he hadn't exactly told Prompto yet, "he was conveniently gone."

Noctis paused, laughed bitterly, and added, "Pretty sure he spent that time cheating on me, actually," with a pathetic shrug.

The expression on Prompto's face changed then, from the shock he'd been wearing when Noctis admitted to his depression, to anger. The furrowing of his brows deepened, and his eyes narrowed. "Spent the time when you were dealing with your _depression_... _cheating on you_ because it was _easier than being there with you_?" he asked incredulously.

Noctis mumbled in acknowledgment. Though he wasn't exactly sure if he was right, it felt that way in retrospect. He took the keys from the ignition and put them in his pocket. "It made the episode last a little bit longer than it needed to. Without my meds, I'd probably have been even worse off. When he came back, Gladio sorta... took him aside and yelled at him. I was never there, but Loqi always told me it was about why he stuck around if he couldn't handle me at my worst," he explained.

"Well, why _did_ he?" Prompto asked.

Noctis muttered, "'cause it's easy. Same reason he didn't stick around when it _was_ rough. One time when he ran off like that, Ravus almost physically kicked him out."

"Should've let him," Prompto mumbled under his breath.

"Hindsight's twenty-twenty, right?" Noctis mumbled in self-deprecation. "I was an idiot the whole time. You know those dumb movies where one person stays with the other even though he's a real loser? Until that one thing happens and they can't justify it anymore? That was pretty much me."

Prompto shook his head and placed a hand on Noctis' shoulder. "I don't think you're an idiot," he insisted. "Though I'm a little curious as to why you're so upset by seeing him today. If you don't have feelings for him or anything like that anymore." Once again, a tiny flash of hope peeked through the cloud of anger that was storming across Prompto's expression.

Sighing, Noctis lifted his hand and placed it on top of Prompto's on his shoulder. He pulled his friend's hand down and twined their fingers together, ticking his shoulder up in a shrug. "This was the first time I'd ever really seen him since we split up," he explained. "It's one of those things. You can say you've prepared yourself for it and everything, but when it actually happens you're just... shocked. Taken off-guard. I guess I was kind of hoping he'd be worse off. But he looks the same. Happier even, now that he doesn't have to pretend to be happy with me and-"

"Gods, what an idiot he is," Prompto seethed.

Noctis shrugged. "I always sorta thought I was the idiot," he countered, glancing down at his knees.

Before he even raised his eyes to look at Prompto, Noctis felt a soft squeeze of his fingers. "No," he insisted. "You're not an idiot. I mean, you made a couple mistakes and stuck with someone who didn't deserve you, but I don't think it makes you an idiot. Whether you loved him or not, you cared about him, yeah?"

"Yeah," Noctis agreed.

Prompto nodded. "Exactly. So, you cared about him and wanted to make it work," he told Noctis gently, encouragingly. "Anyone worth their weight in water wouldn't _have_ to pretend to be happy to be with you. 'Cause you're awesome, Noct."

It was stupid. It was _really_ stupid, actually. The words were kind and gentle, but they were just words. What right did they have to make Noctis' heart skip a beat in his chest like that? What right did they have to instantly take away all of the bad feelings he'd felt by seeing Loqi earlier? In the short time they'd been talking about it, it felt like all of the sadness and negativity had melted away, like someone holding an ice cube over an open flame, and all Noctis could feel in the moment was the pleasant and comfortable cloud Prompto was filling each and every one of his senses with.

That was quickly becoming his absolute favorite feeling in the entire world, and he couldn't get enough of it.

Without even really thinking about it, he leaned across the center console and raised his free hand to Prompto's cheek. Prompto lifted his gaze, and their eyes locked, Noctis' lips curling up into a gentle smile as Prompto's expression softened from the anger he'd been feeling when he talked about Loqi. The smile grew, but Noctis only let it stay there for a couple of seconds longer before he leaned forward, pressing their lips together and letting his hand slide down to rest on the back of Prompto's neck.

It was electric. Just a simple kiss had Noctis' body buzzing, feeling alive, and overflowing, full of sensations and feelings he was finally starting to realize. He knew the kiss would eventually have to end, but right then, air felt inconsequential. Breathing felt less vital to him than being as close to Prompto as he possibly could and kissing him until the end of time. Instead, Noctis kissed him until neither of them could breathe. When they finally broke apart—each with a desperate gasp—they locked eyes and smiled.

"We... we should bring the groceries upstairs. Yeah?" Noctis finally asked, a half-flirtatious smile crossing his face.

A light dusting of red graced Prompto's cheeks, but he nodded and swept a little bit of hair from Noctis' eyes. "Yeah," he answered. "I'll call Iggy and cancel, and you can call in dinner?"

Noctis nodded, though he was still hesitant to let go of Prompto's hand and back away. Eventually, he did. Neither of them said a word, though they exchanged gentle looks and soft, shy smiles all the way up to the apartment. For the first time, Noctis found himself wondering if _this_ was what love was supposed to feel like; not the _imitation_ love he'd felt with Loqi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at these dumb boys, being in love with each other but being in denial.


	10. Unbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _i wish i knew you when eyes were white and innocent..._  
>  _if i could cut through time, i'd hold you close, make you mine._  
>  _stay where you are, and i will come for you, i will comfort you,_  
>  _until the stars fall around us._  
> [unbreak](https://open.spotify.com/track/1VAhlkdOKqmZiWVNNmupEI?si=BMYPbvw3QKe6W4HrM6rCLw) ;; ryan star
> 
> [ [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4xuHetLqJ0) ]

Somehow, a completely innocent Lethal Force marathon had turned into shameless making out on the couch. Noctis wanted to say he was surprised, but he couldn't. Even less surprising was how it had led them back to Noctis' room, where the make-out session _continued_. Noctis was in absolutely no hurry whatsoever to advance things from there, though. He was perfectly content to just lie half on top of Prompto, kiss all over Prompto's face, neck, and chest, and enjoy the feeling of Prompto's hands running along his back.

Nope, not surprising at all. Noctis had always heard that sometimes, it was fun to go on a journey without a destination. It definitely felt true right then.

Especially when Prompto, in a heady voice, mumbled, "you're such a good kisser, Noct."

Noctis looked up from where he'd been kissing along Prompto's collarbone, meeting his friend's eyes and laughing softly to himself. "Glad you're enjoying yourself," he answered, before sliding up the bed so they were face to face again. Once he was there, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Prompto's, then raised the other hand to push some of his bangs back from his face.

One of Prompto's hands came to rest on the side of his neck, and he tilted his head to press their lips together even tighter. In a brief break, Prompto murmured, "always do when I'm with you," against Noctis' lips.

"Me too," Noctis agreed, resting his forehead against Prompto's and trailing his thumb down Prompto's jaw. "Doesn't matter what we're doing. Playing games, sitting together while I do my classwork and you practice music, watching movies, kissing..." He paused, chuckled nervously, and added, "other stuff? All of it. I just have fun 'cause we're together and... I'm glad. I'm glad we met and I'm glad you agreed to be my roommate."

It was more than that. Very quickly, Noctis was coming to realize his affection for Prompto went way beyond the normal affection that friends had for one another. He liked Prompto, Prompto was a great friend. That much was _definitely_ true. Beyond that, though? Well… yeah, it definitely went beyond that. 

In quiet moments, when Prompto was at work and he was by himself in the apartment, he found his mind wandering to his friend and checking the time to see how far it was from when he came home. On the very rare nights when the pair of them fell asleep in separate beds, Noctis would wrestle with the desire to go to Prompto's bed, before deciding Prompto deserved his space for a night now and then.

Then there were moments like this, when Noctis stared silently into Prompto's eyes—wondering exactly what they looked like in their natural green, but not caring, because they were Prompto's, and they were beautiful anyway—and just enjoying having him close. In those moments, he found doubt being chased miles away. There was no need to doubt it. The whole rest of the world could fade away in that instant, and Noctis wouldn't have cared, as long as he got to stay in Prompto's arms.

That, however, was when fear cropped up in doubt's place. It was frustrating, and sad in its own way. For the longest time, Noctis hadn't been afraid of love at all. He'd wanted to fall in love, wanted to _be_ loved. One incident, with one selfish ex-boyfriend, and now he was terrified of the same things happening again. It didn't make sense. He knew Prompto was light years away from Loqi, but for some reason, that wasn't enough to stop the fear.

Whether or not Prompto loved him back was another matter entirely, and another thing to fear, but the way he was feeling for Prompto went way, _way_ beyond anything he'd ever felt in his life. That was the scary part. His feelings for Prompto were, far and away, stronger than anything he'd ever felt before… even when he thought he was head over heels, stupidly, foolishly, moronically, in love with Loqi.

Prompto made that particular "romance" feel like nothing.

It was stupid. The way he was acting right then was the exact kind of thing he always mocked in movies and on TV. Doubting himself, rather than speaking up and asking a simple question. It was a _simple question_. 'I think I'm in love with you, Prompto. Do you love me, too?' A _very_ simple question. The question itself, though, wasn't the issue. It was the answer.

What could it hurt to try, though? Noctis smoothed his fingers through Prompto's hair, met his eyes again, and bit his lip nervously.

"You okay?" Prompto asked. "You've been quiet for a couple minutes now, and I can't help but notice that you uh-" he paused, and chuckled nervously- "stopped kissing me. Not very nice of you, y'know?"

Noctis laughed. "Sorry about that," he replied. 

With a dismissive shake of his head, Prompto asked, "you okay? Something on your mind?"

There was his opening. All it would take was for Noctis to open his mouth, to ask the question, to find out if Prompto felt even _half_ as strongly as Noctis did. If there was a chance that, even if he didn't love Noctis _now_ , maybe he could start to love Noctis _someday_. A simple question. Hell, it was even an answer to _Prompto's_ question, which made it all the easier. So, steeling himself, Noctis nodded his head, and opened his eyes to meet Prompto's gaze.

"Just wondering why you always wear your contacts, even at home," Noctis said instead, instantly cursing his mouth's unwillingness to listen to his heart and just say what he wanted it to say. "You have glasses, right? And you know you don't have to hide from me..."

Prompto blinked a couple of times, and then chuckled nervously to himself. "Oh. Yeah, you do know my eyes are green, huh?" he mused, trailing his fingers down Noctis' jaw and then tilting Noctis' chin up for another kiss. This one was quick and chaste, just a brief peck of lips on lips, but it still made Noctis' whole body feel like it was coming alive.

With a hum of agreement, Noctis traced a finger along Prompto's cheekbone, underneath his eyes. "Yeah. You slept in your contacts the first night here. And the second time you stayed here. And... every night you spend in my room, for that matter. That has to be uncomfortable," he pointed out.

Again, Prompto hummed and chuckled softly. "It was. It always is," he laughed another humorless note, then met Noctis' eyes again. "I just... I'm so used to hiding it, y'know? People see blond and blue, and they expect to see it all the time. Becomes second nature to just wear my contacts all the time until I'm by myself. And I'd rather be with you than by myself." As soon as the words escaped, a red flush dusted across his cheeks. "Would be nice not to have to wear 'em all the time, though."

"You don't have to wear them. Ever, actually. Even when you're not around the house, I don't think anyone would tease you anymore," Noctis insisted.

For a few seconds, Prompto was quiet as he seemed to be contemplating what Noctis was saying. He pulled in a slow breath again, blinking his eyes and raking his teeth over his lip. "I mean, it _would_ be nice not to have to pay the extra money to get colored contacts," he chuckled to himself. "Just get normal ones, or even glasses. Plus, seein' everyone's shocked face when blue-eyed Prompto suddenly has green eyes? That'd be pretty fun. Not yet, though. I don't think I'm ready for that..."

Noctis chuckled, humming a brief affirmative answer as he pressed his lips gently to Prompto's cheekbone. "I'm curious," he admitted selfishly. "I've been curious since before you moved in."

Smiling shyly, Prompto went quiet for a few seconds and appraised Noctis' face. "I guess it is kinda unfair of me to tell you I've got green eyes and not show you, huh?" he asked softly, laughing a nervous note and going quiet again, like he was still turning it over in his head.

It was reasonable. It was a pretty big request, asking for trust when the only people outside of his parents who had ever really _seen_ the way he looked naturally had made fun of him. Those kinds of things tended to linger, and Prompto was the proof of that.

With that in mind, Noctis reassured him. "You don't have to, obviously. I just... I'm curious," he admitted.

"I'll make you a deal," Prompto answered, turning Noctis' face so that they were eye to eye again. "You kiss me hard enough to take my breath away? Make me tingle from head to toe? I'll show you how I look like without my contacts in."

That, Noctis decided, was the easiest deal he'd ever had to agree to. Without another word, Noctis moved so he was leaning over Prompto. One leg was on either side of Prompto's hips, and one hand was on either side of his head. Then, Noctis leaned down and kissed him. At first, it was just a soft kiss. Gentle and tender, a faint touch of lips on lips. Slowly, the kiss became more and more intense—Noctis was reasonably sure it was only _half_ his doing, as Prompto seemed just as into it as he was—until Noctis had _completely_ forgotten about anything other than exploring Prompto's mouth with his own.

Noctis kissed Prompto until his lungs burned for air, when he finally pulled apart with a gentle but satisfying popping sound.

Both of them gasped for air for a solid ten seconds, breathing heavily and locking eyes. Noctis wasn't sure if it was up to the standard Prompto had given him, but it definitely was on his part. He was definitely breathless, his heart was _definitely_ beating like it was a wild animal; like it was actively trying to escape his rib cage. He _definitely_ felt like he was tingling from head to toe.

The important thing, though, was how Prompto was feeling.

"S-somethin' like that?" Noctis murmured between panting breaths.

Slowly but surely, a smile spread across Prompto's face. "That... was definitely... _exactly_ what I was talking about," he answered with a vehement nod.

Noctis grinned, and though the deal was Prompto would show his natural green eyes after the kiss, Noctis couldn't bring himself to want to move. Lying here, on top of Prompto, feeling the electricity he felt whenever they touched, was exactly where he felt like he belonged. Rather than say as much out loud, he leaned forward and pressed another lazy kiss to Prompto's lips. His hand cradled Prompto's cheek, and he let the kiss linger for as long as he possibly could. This one lacked the desperation of the first one, but not the intensity. It was slow. Noctis had nothing to prove, no challenge to meet this time. All he wanted to do was please Prompto.

The way Prompto leaned up into it suggested he was doing a damn good job.

When they broke this time, Prompto just smiled and joked, "you know, the deal was only once. Not that I'll complain about overpayment."

"That wasn't payment," Noctis mused with a soft chuckle. "Just... wanted to."

Prompto was quiet again, though his grin said more than words really could have. He could almost hear the 'good, so did I,' in the air, even without Prompto saying it. "Still not complaining," Prompto insisted. "But it makes it a little bit tough for me to take out my contacts. Y'know, with you laying on me like that?"

Noctis paused and laughed softly. "Guess it does. Lemme just..." Before he moved, he leaned up and pressed his lips to Prompto's one more time.

This time, Noctis felt Prompto laughing against his lips and wiggling just a little bit to get out from underneath him. Noctis rolled onto his back on the bed and watched Prompto as he stood up in the dim light coming from his bedside table. Even in half-light like this, he was gorgeous. Noctis sat up, dangling his legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to get up and follow Prompto, but Prompto grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

"Wait here, 'kay?" Prompto asked, pointing over his shoulder with his other hand. "I'm gonna go change my contacts for my glasses and then... and then come back."

Admittedly, Noctis wasn't completely sure why the pretense was necessary, but if it made Prompto more comfortable, then Noctis would do whatever it took. He nodded, before pulling his legs back up onto his mattress and crossing them at the ankle. He watched Prompto smile nervously, back a couple of steps toward the door, and then turn around to leave the room, leaving Noctis alone to his devices.

The first step was to turn on the lights. Sure, Prompto looked amazing in the dim light; more than amazing, actually. Something like this, though, where Prompto was opening up and showing Noctis a side of him he didn't normally show to people... Noctis wanted to see it for real. Noctis wanted to _see_ the green of his eyes. He wanted to identify the color and place it with a shade in his paints or colored pencils. If it didn't match, maybe he could create it. Or, better still, it would be an unmatchable color and Noctis would just have to come as close as he could if he ever wanted to draw it.

Humming a soft note to himself as he flicked the light on and then turned around to head back to the bed, he secretly wondered if Prompto would be okay with Noctis drawing him. Prompto was an artist, too, of course. He was a photographer. Noctis had been okay with Prompto taking a picture, so Noctis could only wonder—hope, even—that Prompto would be okay with Noctis drawing him.

 _Maybe I should ask,_ he thought to himself.

The problem with asking, of course, was how it completely drained away the surprise that came with showing someone a picture he'd drawn. Sometimes, the surprise was unpleasant, but Noctis held on to hope that Prompto would be okay with it. He sat down on top of the comforter again, pulling his legs up and sitting butterfly style. Leaning his back against the headboard, he glanced over at his bedside table. The picture of Loqi was gone now. Ever since they'd had that encounter in the grocery store and Prompto had assured Noctis the relationship they'd had was no good, Noctis couldn't justify keeping the picture anymore. He'd thrown it away that day. Straight into the dumpster near where Gladio had found Loqi cheating.

It was the first step in truly moving on.

Eyeing his phone where he left it on the bedside table, Noctis reached over to grab it and check the time. It had been about five minutes already, and the anticipation was driving him a _little_ bit insane. It was a stupid thing to be so excited for. Green eyes, blue eyes, whatever color they were when Prompto came back, Noctis didn't care. Just as long as the situation ended with Prompto leaning against him, or laying underneath him, or touching him _somehow_.

As soon as the thought exited his mind in favor of checking his email, he heard a gentle knock on the wall next to his door. Lifting his head, he smirked when he saw Prompto. He'd changed from his day clothes to his pajamas—sky blue pants, decorated with green chocobos, and a green t-shirt to match—and seemed otherwise ready for bed. Noctis definitely wasn't going to complain if he wanted to sleep together that night. It still didn't really explain what had taken him so long, but honestly, Noctis figured it had more to do with anxiety than anything else; the worry about taking down another wall. It made sense.

That wasn't why he'd left the room, though. From where Noctis sat, it was a little bit difficult to see the green eyes behind the glasses. There was a slight glare from the light hitting them and obscuring Prompto's eyes behind a bright white glow. Part of Noctis' mind wondered if it was difficult for Prompto to see, but he pushed that curiosity aside and patted the bed next to him. The only way he could get a really good look was to see them from up close.

Prompto walked across the room and sat back in place on the bed, his eyes focused on the black striped comforter instead of on Noctis. "It's probably weird, isn't it?" he asked.

As much as Noctis wanted to answer, he hadn't actually gotten a good look yet. So, instead of answering with words, he placed his fingertips on Prompto's chin and gently turned him so that they were eye-to-eye. Then, he went completely silent.

It was funny. The change wasn't _really_ that drastic. Prompto's eyes were still bright. They still shone like gems, stealing Noctis' attention and making his heart stutter a little bit in his chest. All that was really different, obviously, was the color. The green was bright like an emerald or like the springtime leaves on a tree. It was different, but it didn't change how gorgeous Prompto was. The _only_ difference was, now it was natural. It was Prompto being his real, honest self. No facade thrown on just because some people thought he looked strange when he was a kid.

Only when Prompto, in a nervous and shaky voice, asked, "what do you think?" did Noctis realize that he'd been quiet this whole time.

What did he think? With a little grin, Noctis raised his hand and placed it on Prompto's cheek, tracing along Prompto's jaw with his thumb. "I think you're perfect," he told Prompto. "Blue eyes, green eyes, blond hair, red hair, blue hair, _rainbow_ hair? I think you look great."

Especially with a bright red flush coating his cheeks. It was sort of like someone had dusted his cheeks with makeup, the way they turned red so suddenly. In spite of that, a smile spread across Prompto's face, and he reached up to place his hand on top of Noctis'. "You're the first person to see me like this in a long time," he explained, speaking quickly—without breathing—in his nervousness. "I think the last time was Aranea when the power went out on our block and she had to wake me up because I was late for work so that-"

Rather than let Prompto ramble on, Noctis leaned forward and captured his lips in an eager kiss. Prompto's words died with a sharp inhale, and it took him a couple of seconds to let his mind and body relax into it. When he did, though, he reached up with his free hand to let it rest on Noctis' chest and grab a fistful of his t-shirt. Then, Noctis eased Prompto back down to the pillows and resumed his position with one leg on either side of Prompto's hips.

He broke the kiss for just a second, leaned down to Prompto's ear, and whispered, "I think you're perfect, Prompto. Okay? No matter what you look like. You're perfect."

Lifting his head to meet Prompto's eyes again, Noctis watched as his facial expression changed. At first, he looked stunned, speechless. His eyes were wide—that gorgeous green brightening his whole face all over again—and his mouth was just slightly agape. Then, one side of his mouth quirked into a grin and he placed both hands on Noctis' cheeks to drag him down into an eager and hungry kiss. Sometimes actions spoke louder than words, and that kiss was the loudest and clearest 'thank you' Noctis had ever heard from anyone in his whole entire life.

"You're overdressed," Prompto declared once the kiss broke.

Noctis recognized that expression on his face pretty clearly. Half-lidded eyes, lower lip teased by his top teeth, bright pink flush on his cheeks... the expression was sexy as _hell_ , and it all added up to tell Noctis _exactly_ what Prompto wanted.

"I was thinkin' that myself," Noctis agreed in a breathy voice as he leaned down to press a few light kisses to Prompto's jawline.

As Noctis moved his attention to Prompto's neck, he felt Prompto reach down to grab the hem of his shirt and tug upward on it. Noctis took the hint, moving to stand on his knees and pull his shirt up, discarding it to the floor. When he glanced back down at Prompto, he saw that smile growing ever wider and decided that even if he wasn't _planning_ on this happening, it was definitely the perfect accent to a really good day. He leaned back down and returned to lavishing eager kisses against Prompto's neck.

"I meant it, you know?" Noctis whispered against his skin, as he reached down to gather a handful of the hem of Prompto's shirt. "You're beautiful. Just... really beautiful. When you smile. When you laugh. When you're focused and you get that little crease between your eyebrows."

Prompto sat up just slightly, allowing Noctis to tug his shirt up and over his shoulders and toss it down to the floor. "You really think so?" he asked.

Nodding, Noctis scooted down a little bit and pressed a couple of kisses against his collarbone instead. "Mmhmm," he hummed against Prompto's skin. "All the time."

Prompto canted his hips upward just slightly, revealing the outline of his interest to Noctis and whispering, "you are too, you know?" His hands trailed up into Noctis' hair, and he tangled his fingers into it, smoothing them down his neck and onto his shoulder blades. "All the time. Just like you said I am. You're like... you're the type of person they make _statues_ of, Noct. Everything about you. Don't think I've ever seen someone who looks as good as you do."

Noctis laughed awkwardly, then slid back up to kiss Prompto's lips again. It was a heavy kiss this time. Powerful; full of all of the things Noctis wasn't saying right then. Of course, he could never really be sure if Prompto understood the hidden meaning, the hidden words in there. In fact, he was pretty sure it was impossible. At that moment, Noctis didn't really care about anything but being close to Prompto, being in his arms, being together.

When the kiss broke, and Prompto looked up at Noctis with a gentle whisper of, "want you, Noct," any other thoughts completely drained from his mind and turned it into that haze he was growing more and more familiar with every time they did this.

Without hesitation, Noctis reached over to the bedside drawer to get what they needed. Before he got there, he felt Prompto reach out and grab his wrist to stop him. He stopped, of course, but looked back at Prompto with curious eyes, only to see an even _brighter_ flush coating his cheeks.

"You... you don't uh... I... I prepped myself. Wh-when I was in the other room. Y'know, just in case. I thought you..."

All Noctis could do was breathe a gentle laugh as he leaned back in to press his lips to Prompto's again. "That's what took you so long?!" he asked when the kiss broke, leaning their foreheads together.

Prompto bit his lip sheepishly and nodded. "Guess I thought... y'know, we were making out and... I mean, I would've been okay if we didn't, but I wanted to. Kissing you really drives me crazy, and I could tell you were feeling it, too. A-at least I hope so..."

"Mmm," Noctis confirmed with a nod, as he moved back down to press his lips to Prompto's neck. "Always feeling it with you."

Again, Prompto laughed softly. "Me too," he admitted, raising his hips once again, pressing them into Noctis'.

Noctis moved to sit on his knees again, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans. He pushed them down his hips, trying desperately to be smooth and get them out of the way without too much extra movement, but it was impossible. He ended up losing his balance and almost falling from the bed while they were still down to his knees which coaxed a laugh out of Prompto. He sat up, pushing Noctis to his feet and standing up to follow.

"Just stand up next time," Prompto explained, pushing Noctis' boxer-briefs down along with his jeans, allowing Noctis to kick them off to the side.

With a laugh, Noctis murmured, "I'll try and remember," before pulling Prompto close for another kiss. "No guarantees, though."

Before either of them could say anything else, Noctis silenced them by capturing Prompto's lips. With his eyes closed and his head completely lost in the moment, he wasn't even _positive_ when Prompto had discarded his pants, but he felt the heat of bare skin pressing against his hip, and that said more than seeing the action take place could have. Prompto was naked and apparently ready, and something about the fact that he was so into it right then sent Noctis' mind into a spin where all he could think about was how into it _he_ was, too.

They slowly maneuvered their way back down to the bed. The next fifteen minutes or so was filled with a slow culmination of kisses and touches. Not rushing gave Noctis the chance to discover new things about Prompto; new things he liked and new things to make him go crazy. For example, Noctis learned Prompto liked to have his earlobe nibbled, and that having his neck kissed was a quick and easy way to make him beg for Noctis to fuck him.

However, Noctis was also learning a new thing or two about himself. Like how much he _lived_ for Prompto begging to be fucked. Sure, Prompto's touches were like fire and his half-lidded green eyes were hot as hell when they met with Noctis'. Something about his voice, pleading for Noctis, though… it was almost too much to take. As it stood, Noctis was ready, willing, and able to do exactly what Prompto wanted.

With Prompto on his hands and knees on the bed, Noctis bracing himself with a hand on either of Prompto's hips, Noctis finally allowed himself to slide into Prompto from behind. Prompto's voice was hardly quiet, but Noctis couldn't find it in himself to complain. To be honest, Noctis thought it was a miracle for him to be able to keep his own voice down. It felt good, and Prompto seemed to feel good too, if the way he rocked backward into Noctis' hips was any indication. With a hand around Prompto's middle, Noctis urged him upward so that he was on his knees, but his back was flush against Noctis' chest. When Prompto responded by letting his head drop back against Noctis' shoulder, Noctis turned his head and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to Prompto's neck and slid his own hands along Prompto's length in time with his rolling hips.

Their lips met shortly thereafter, and Noctis' tempo slowed. No need to rush. Noctis wanted to make Prompto feel good for as long as possible tonight.

Prompto trapped Noctis' lips in a kiss, as slow and deliberate as Noctis' own movements, and Noctis realized he wasn't nearly as in charge and in control as he thought. The feeling of Prompto's lips, the way he rocked backward against Noctis' hips and took him in impossibly deeper each time… it was too much.

Noctis came first, with a cry that Prompto quickly silenced with another kiss. His hips stuttered a few times, his hands still trying—but ultimately failing—to keep the rhythm going. One of Prompto's hands joined his, though, guiding them back into a rhythm until he toppled over the edge shortly after Noctis did, and they collapsed into one another, only staying upright through one another's support. They kissed for the whole time they rode the waves, first hungrily and desperately, then fading into lazy, tender kisses with no real purpose other than the desire to kiss one another.

By the time they both came down, they were both slicked with a sheen of sweat, which clung to Prompto's forehead and chest and made almost made him glisten. It was probably gross and almost definitely weird, but Noctis couldn't help but find it beautiful in it's own way.

Noctis fell to the bed first, and he could feel Prompto's eyes on him even after his head hit the pillows. Prompto still hadn't moved, but was looking at him with a lazy and lopsided, but satisfied smile on his face.

"Man. That was… that was pretty awesome," Prompto declared. Though the words were nonchalant and casual, his expression was soft and warm.

Nodding, Noctis patted the pillow next to him. "You're awesome," he countered.

The smile on Prompto's face grew, but it didn't harden. "Not half as awesome as you," he answered as he maneuvered his body around to lay next to Noctis.

Maybe they should have showered, but Noctis really couldn't bring himself to want to move; not even to turn the lights off. He turned toward Prompto, smiling gently. "Can't say I agree, but I think that's one of the things we'll never really agree on," he murmured.

"Mmm," Prompto agreed, as he slid over, putting himself in Noctis' space. "That's okay, though."

It was almost second-nature, the way they assumed the cuddle position they'd both grown accustomed to at this point. Noctis wrapped his arms around Prompto, Prompto rolled so his back was pressed tight to Noctis' chest again, and they snuggled in tight. It was probably dangerous, how used to this Noctis had gotten at this point. Worries for another day, he decided. It was too late, and Noctis was too tired to concern himself with how attached he'd already gotten to Prompto.

"Night Prom…"

"Night, Noct."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have been asking about this chapter! Hope it doesn't disappoint! ♥
> 
> Thanks, as always, to the wonderful [Chellie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves) for betaing this chapter on such short notice! Got some cute plans for later on in the story. :)

**Author's Note:**

> FIND ME!  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/lizibabbles) ;; [tumblr](http://lizibabbles.tumblr.com/)


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